Child of Light and Darkness
by Teefa and Co
Summary: Three year old Angelique Raoul is gifted with the powers of both Light and Darkness. As Demons once again rear their ugly heads in Paprica, she valiently follows her mother, Prier, into battle while awaiting her father's return from his journey.
1. The Maiden's Handguard

**The Maiden's Handguard**

"So," a tall, redheaded boy stated, "We have to go to The Forest of Obscurite to check out a recent Demon attack. Sister Romaine told me that a few of La Pucelle's elite were struck while passing through from Pot au Feu City towards a small agricultural village called Ferme. She told me that she wants her best unit on the case. And well, that means us." The youth wore a navy blue sweater and a navy blue cap, black shorts, navy socks, and leather shoes. He looked towards his three companions.

"I wonder if there's any cute farm hands that I can meet while there," the blue haired woman replied. She had on a white shirt with medium length sleeves, and her skirt was aqua; made so that the front went down only a little ways while the back hung low near her black shoes. She had a leather belt as well as a pair of leather battle gloves for punching, and her eyes were as green as the forest trees.

The third person in the group was a redheaded woman with a purple bodysuit/dress hybrid on covered by a strangely shaped white apron. Down in the back hung an extension of the rest of the outfit that bowed out right below her knees. Her boots were made of leather and she had assorted ribbons all around her outfit. On her head was a white hat. For that little comment, she decked the other woman. To said girl she demanded, "Don't you dare get us in trouble with the guys again; last time I had to save you from everyone's jealous girlfriends. Francoise, you are just damn lucky that I have to watch over you."

The last member of the group was not a teenager, like the boy, or an adult, like the women. She was a young child who had on a long white dress that was bordered on the ends of the sleeves and neck by black. The sash and bow it was tied into were also black as was her boots and a pair of ribbons that she had worn on her sleeves. On her head was a black headband with a black rose worn over her left ear. Her hair was the color of rust and her eyes were brown like the boy and second woman. 'My name is Angelique; I'm an apprentice Demon Hunter. Though I'm only three years old, I can harness the power of both Light and Darkness in such strong amounts that I can be in La Pucelle; the elite Demon Hunting unit of the Church of the Holy Maiden. Not only that, but I'm a member of The Maiden's Handguard; the best of the best of La Pucelle. My powers have also matured me physically and mentally beyond my years; Sister Cherrie says that I'll age at the same rate as any other kid but I'll have the mental capacity of a teenager from my young age until I actually grow up and have to get an adult's mental capacity instead.'

'That,' she pointed to the flirty woman, 'Is Sister Francoise; age twenty two. She joined the church about five years ago, however she's only been in La Pucelle three and a half; some friends of hers were killed by Demons and she wanted to do her part and fight against them. Nice woman…just gets on everyone's nerves cuz she flirts with every guy she sees. Mamma and I even have to use our batons like crowbars at times. Other times it's a punch or an uppercut. Either way, we have to subdue her a lot.'

'The young boy over there is my Uncle Culotte; age sixteen. Everyone tells me he was such a shrimp as a kid; hard to believe now because he's at least six feet tall. He and I are the sorcerers of the group; though I can actually handle myself in physical combat somewhat while he still uses assorted items kept in that bag of his that never do much damage. Sometimes, I see him looking up at the stars and crying; I know my grandparents died so long ago that he doesn't remember them, but I think it's more than that. I think he lost someone dear to him not to long before I was born,' she mused as she looked at the boy.

Her gaze turned towards the redheaded woman; who was listening to Sister Francoise's groveling. She smiled at her and thought, 'They call her Sister Prier, Dark Slayer; age twenty. I heard it's cuz three years and nine months ago she killed the legendary Dark Prince when the Maiden of Light only had enough power to cast a single Miracle yet had to do a follow up attack afterwards. I don't really worry too much about that. Not like I use the name…I just call her Mommy. She's my only parent; Daddy is away on an important journey and Mommy says he's gonna come back to us when he's found himself. Not that I know what that means either. She always says that when I get older, she'll tell me the entire story.'

S...S

They'd arrived at The Forest of Obscurite by nightfall; Angelique holding her mother's hand so she wouldn't be separated in the darkness. A cold stench of death and the foreboding sensations of a Demon were felt in the air. Prier looked down at her daughter and sighed. 'Croix…I don't know what to do. We need Angie to help us fight the Demons; she was gifted with these powers to protect all those that she loves. But as a mother, I don't want to see her in danger. I know she can take care of herself but still I worry. Nevertheless, I'd die before I let any being lay their filthy hands on the child we made.'

Culotte looked to his sister; she was thinking of Croix again, he could tell by the way her eyes were cast. Prier missed her beloved greatly; his letters and their daughter being her comfort. Boy, was he in for a surprise when he finally returned from his quest for inner peace; he never knew about Angie.

"Prier!" exclaimed Francoise, "I hate to interrupt whatever reverie you are on, but we've got trouble! There's a pack of Zombies up ahead!" It was true…a large army of Zombie Kings. Both Prier and Culotte felt themselves being jolted back to reality at that very sight. The young mother let out an audible sigh.

'I hate Zombies…why do we always have to fight them. Oh well, they're asking for it then!' she thought. With that, she yelled out, "Angelique! Let me see what you can do!" Prier summoned a bunch of energy batons; just as if she were casting Holy Wind. They hovered in midair until hit with a blast of Fire magic from Angelique. Finally, the batons all rained down like meteors upon the Zombies; killing all that they came in contact with. However, there were still many more beasts advancing on the group.

Francoise began to gather fire magic within her fists. "Taste the fires of Hell!" With those words, she rushed at the enemies and began to punch the group with flames; they'd all seemed to stream out of an Icy Dark Portal. Culotte was running around trying to Purify as many portals as he could. Francoise was trained by Prier and it showed; the two of them tended to fight a lot more than closing the portals.

Suddenly, there was only one creature left. However…it was not a Zombie; well, not like the ones they'd fought before. The beast was at least six foot five and had the appearance of a Zombie dressed in all black with a black tuft of hair on its head. It looked at Angie with hunger and advanced.

"I'm calling my Mommy!" she exclaimed as Prier yelled, "Die!" Angelique thrust Holy energy at the monster; a small amount being thrust the opposite way to make contact with Prier's baton. Both Mother and Daughter then held out their charged up batons and attacked; Prier on the left and Angie on the right. That blow caused the creature to fall to the ground; writhing in pain until at last it faded away.

S...S

Further investigation revealed that huge Zombie to be the culprit behind the attacks. Thus, the four were able to go home. Angelique, dog tired from her busy day, was riding on her mother's back; Prier careful not to jostle her so she could sleep. The woman smiled at how brave her daughter was.

'I miss Croix a lot. But I have to keep going forward for Angie's sake. And I did receive a letter a week ago so that means that idiot hasn't gotten himself killed. If he does…then I'm going to follow him down to Hell just to beat the living daylights out of him!' she mused; a strange expression running across her face at that. Culotte was re-forming his opinions of exactly how insane his older sister was.

S...S

In a dark room, a young woman sat in the shadows. The only features that could be made out was her tall lithe frame and the horns upon her head. A Demon in the shape of a humanoid wolf with horns protruding from his head entered her chambers; his features also obscured. The man stated, "Lady Sang…the One appears to be growing ever stronger. When should we make our move to capture her?"

The woman smirked. "Loup…you must be patient. Our master might have been defeated by that woman, but he has left a legacy on this world. Like with any legacy, there is a time and place for it to come into full power. When that time comes, then we will bring the One back where she truly belongs."

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

I originally intended forthis tofollow the formatting for La Pucelle; though I didn'tjust run around in random battles unless they're either A) important to the story or, B) a boss monster. Unlike the original which was told in Culotte's POV, this onewas supposed to betold in Angelique's. Of course, the story shifts a lot following Chapter 7; that was where my original plans went cold and I started writing in unknown directions.

And now for a French Lesson…Obscurite means Darkness, Ferme means farm, Sang means blood, and Loup means wolf. We've got Babel Fish up and running to put French into the fic; being as that all of the characters in the game have French names. I also found out from a friend who is taking French that the female name is Francoise, while Francois is male. So that's why her name is different in this fic.


	2. Jacques

**Jaques**

Two days later, Prier and Angelique were in the auditorium of the church. Angie was twirling her baton; practicing for the festival in three months that would commemorate the fourth anniversary of La Pucelle's victory over the Dark Prince. She wanted to perform a trick that would involve Prier tossing in a second baton for her to catch in mid twirl. However, that one was quite difficult so she was training every day she could.

'I have to make sure this is just right,' thought the child, 'Every year there's a grand fair on Victory Day, and all of the children in the church put on a grand performance. Though Mommy is always real sad on that day; it's the day before Daddy left and the day she conceived me. Whatever that means anyway.'

She thought back to yesterday; right after the mail had arrived and Prier had nearly broken her neck rushing towards the mailbox. Her mother had received a letter from her father. He was doing alright; just slain a rampaging ghost that had spooked a small mountain village. In the envelope, he'd sent some Prica so that Prier could go and buy herself a little treat. In the end, she'd taken Angie out for Ice Cream.

'He always seems so nice from his letters. I wonder when I'll meet Daddy in person,' she mused.

S...S

As the duo was returning to their room, they heard a cry come from the Infirmary. Prier rushed over to see what was going on; finding Sister Cherrie and Culotte hovering over one of the beds that contained a young man with dark brown hair. He was unconscious and covered in blood. Cherrie told the young huntress, "He said that he and his best friend were traveling through Labyrinthe Forest when they heard an explosion. Then, a huge boulder crashed down on the path; trapping the other man on the opposite side. This youth was attacked by monsters on the way to get help; and not the usual fare. I'll ask Sister Romaine to send a detail to the forest in order to rout out the beasts and save the other man."

At that moment, Angelique caught up with her mother. "We've got to be careful! I feel that the Dark Energies in Labyrinthe Forest have been rapidly growing! The sensation is incredibly cold; almost as if I had been locked outside on the night of the Winter Solstice." She immediately began to shiver from the sheer terror. Prier embraced her young daughter. One of the side effects of Angelique's unique powers was that she had the ability to sense the energies from both sides of the spectrum on air currents.

"Then I guess we'll have to send in Sister Prier's unit to investigate," Sister Romaine stated as she and Francoise entered the Infirmary, "Not only are the four of you some of our strongest warriors, but Angelique can sense the Demonic Energies. That should give you all fair warning to any danger around; like whatever has hurt this traveler. While you go, I will help Sister Cherrie tend to this wounded man."

"Why is it that I must always put my only daughter in danger! Angelique is only three years old and yet she's seen things that I didn't witness until I was sixteen! If Croix were here…well you wouldn't want to see the two of us angry at the exact same time," Prier yelled. But Sister Romaine belted her in the gut and gave her a look. Angie was special…this was the fate that Poitreene had given her. At the same time, the child was looking back at her mother's slip up. Was Croix the name of her lost father?

Seeing Prier had calmed down a little, Romaine stood up. She chanted, "In the name of the Maiden of Light…may the Goddess Poitreene watch over you." Her agents responded; leaving hastily afterwards. But Prier vowed to continue the conversation about Angelique at a better time for her boss.

S...S

Labyrinthe Forest was the most direct path between Mayonaise Harbor and Pot au Feu City. Due to the dangerous number of Mini Dragons in the trees and Sirens in the river, most travelers preferred to take the long way around instead. However, members of La Pucelle, Mercenaries, Soldiers, and those that knew self defense tended to use this shortcut; they could handle the monsters easily. It wasn't long before Prier and the gang arrived at the boulder their wounded man spoke of; proving the tale was true.

She looked to her allies. "Culotte! Cast Fire on that boulder to break it apart! Anything larger might burn down the woods! We need to cause at least minor damage to the rock in order to get through to the trapped man." Culotte stepped forward and prepared his spell. It struck right dead center.

Suddenly, at the same second the spell blew up the boulder, a large black wolf jumped from the brush. It was as huge as two Bears combined and the eyes were a bright crimson. The beast looked from Culotte to Francoise to Angelique and finally settled on Prier. 'She's the one Mistress Sang told me about; Prier Dark Slayer. For her crimes against Demons…she must die. The master would approve.'

Just as the beast lunged, and just before being slammed in the gut by the Dark Slayer's boot, a single shot from a large gun rang out. It hit the beast in the neck; causing it to fall to the ground in its death agonies. The team turned around to see a raven haired man with crystal eyes looking about 23 years of age. He held a large barreled tube known as a bazooka; its aim right where the beast had been.

'He's hot!' thought Francoise, 'But considering the dirty looks of anger on Prier's face…it would be suicide to stop her. Guess she wanted to beat that wolf up on her own. Heck, I could see her ready to boot that creature. But when it's all over…I'm definitely going to try and snuggle up to this macho hunk.'

"Thanks for blowing up that boulder. My name is Jaques. I was traveling with my friend, Andre, when the boulder fell. He was on the other side and ran to get help. I just hope that wolf didn't find him as well. I'm the might of the team while Andre was our magic user. He couldn't take it alone," he said.

Prier gave him an angry look and yelled, "What's the big idea; killing that beast before me! I had it all under control! You don't know how half the things I've defeated; certainly that thing wasn't as powerful as those Demons! People in Pot au Feu City and the Church of the Holy Maiden call me Prier Dark Slayer for all of the things I've killed!" Angie hid behind her mother so she wouldn't accidentally get hit. If Prier had struck her daughter by mistake while aiming for another…she would kick her own ass. Or, at least that was how Angelique saw it; her mother always said that anybody whohurt her child would suffer.

Jaques was taken aback by Prier's outburst. But Culotte, ever the peacemaker, stepped forward and put his hand on the man's shoulder. "It's never good to argue with my sister; just agree if you value your health. If Andre is a brown haired man, then he's in our Infirmary. We've got to get back there."

"That would be Andre!" exclaimed Jaques, "If you're from the Church of the Holy Maiden, then I feel much safer. We've heard a lot about La Pucelle on our journies. You'll see me safely to town…right? I'd greatly appreciate it." Francoise and Culotte nodded; Prier was still mad and Angie kept herself quiet.

S...S

They arrived in the Infirmary to see Sisters Cherrie and Romaine looking drained. Andre lay on the bed; unmoving, unseeing, unliving. Jaques's face instantly blanched at the sight of the sight of his dead friend. But he could see that La Pucelle and the church had done all that they could to save him.

"We started our journey two years ago. I'd fallen in the river and this traveling Demon Hunter saved me. He said he was glad to help out someone in need and left before my family and I could thank him. I was inspired then to lend my abilities in battle to my fellow man. Then Andre agreed to come along with me as my magical backup in battle. Sorry…I just want to be alone now," Jaques whispered.

Sister Romaine shoed everyone out of the Infirmary. But before leaving, Angelique looked back. 'I'd never seen a man cry before; even at his most upset, I think Uncle Culotte hasn't any tears left. Does Daddy ever cry for Mommy at all? And when she isn't in my sight, does Mommy cry for Daddy as well?'

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Yes, we've got real drama in this chapter. Jaques is going to stay in this story and there's gonna besome interaction between him and Francoise; as well as her flirtatious crushes. Next chapter is a little bonding chapter. And Labyrinthe means maze.

Dang...after playing Rhapsody, I'm starting to regret the name Cherrie. Cornet's mother was Cherie; same pronounciation. No relation between these women people; as I said before I named her for her hair color, or how it appeared on my TV. And Sister Romaine reminds me of Chrono Crusade's Sister Kate; funny thing is that I hadn't seen the show before writing the bulk of thestory, only the last few chapters.

About Angie. Most of her intelligence is flashes of psychic power that aid in the development of new skills. You'll find out more about how her powers work in Chapters 8 and 9. I based her off the little kids in RPGs and Anime that tend to be compotent warriors/mages despite their young ages. She really doesn't tend to do the thinking; leaves it for Culotte. And pretty much everything else she knows comes from growing up with Prier and the fact that Sister Romaine thrusts her into battle at such a young age.


	3. Memory Lane

**Memory Lane**

In her dark Citadel, Sang was sitting at her golden dresser; combing her hair in the mirror. She was a pale woman with long raven hair, pale skin, and blood red eyes. Her dress was sleeveless and in black. Around her waist was a golden belt with a chain on each side that was attached to the back and connected to the front. Her fingernails were long, painted red claws; making it easier to hurt enemies. Finally, attached to her head just above and behind her ears, was a pair of gray, pointed, curved horns.

"Lady Sang," called Loup, "I heard a rumor from some Demons. The Master is alive! He was seen fighting against a group of beasts. Either he's lost his memory due to trauma caused by that woman, or he's fallen completely under the spell of that human and has deserted us!" His fur was as black as the beast that had attacked Prier earlier; his eyes the same bloodshot red. But the differences could be clearly seen. Loup, like Sang, had a pair of horns on the side of his head; the only difference being they were below his ears. He stood tall like a man and wore a full suit of black armor. A huge sword was strapped on his back. The crazed look on his face showed his worry; their master was really strong.

"No worries Loup. Our Master is truly on our side. He is obviously playing possum and waiting until our people are ready to rally behind him. That woman means nothing to him; he will kill her the second he is ready. She was only a pawn in his plan; he only awaits the return of The One," she said.

S...S

Back at the church, Sister Romaine was briefing Prier's unit. Jacques was in the room as well; he wanted to be hired by La Pucelle until he felt that he could get back on his feet and repay them for saving his life. Sister Romaine told him it was a great idea; casually mentioning that they had hired freelance Demon Hunters in the past without mentioning the story of Prier and Croix. She informed the group, "I trust that most of you remember that run down fort north of Montblanc Castle; Angie wasn't born at that time and Jaques wasn't here so they should just follow the leads of the other three. Apparently, ghosts have begun re-spawning in the area. I guess that they were lying in wait after you'd run through there. So I need the five of you to head to that castle and exorcise the ghosts before somebody gets hurt again."

Prier looked disgusted. "Those weaklings again! Don't they realize that we can easily kick their butts? Why can't we deal with a challenging enemy for once?" After saying that, she recanted her words. Angie was forced to come along on the mission; an incredibly difficult one wouldn't be the best for her.

"Yes, 'those weaklings again'," Sister Romaine told her, "Minor monsters and Demons aren't the brightest creatures; they don't realize they would be better off to leave humans in peace. But they are the ones that disturb the balance between Light and Dark more often than not. Since it is our job to assure that the precious order of the universe isn't broken…then we must go and defeat them. And before you say that I should send a weaker unit, I have already given most everyone in La Pucelle a long term assignment. You see, some Lesser Demons have been spotted skulking around the area and each sighting is being investigated. You'd probably like that a lot less; there's no fighting whatsoever there."

"Ok, ok…I'll go check out the castle. This reminds me of the first time I went there. That was the day that changed my life forever. Well, next to the mission on Mt. Tarte to investigate the murders, the mission to check out Fatima, the mission to defeat Noir…well this changed me in a different sense then. I guess we should be heading on out," Prier replied. She blushed as she thought of those exciting times.

S...S

They arrived at the entrance to the castle quickly. Prier looked around to see the ghosts were trying to hide away; apparently remembering the ass whooping she'd given them the last time around. Looking forward, she remembered that first encounter. _Prier yelled, "Francoise! Be careful! This is a battlefield; not the lounge!" Seeing her new trainee in over her head almost instantly, Prier leapt towards her. The Dark Slayer killed the first Ghost she saw. At that moment, Francoise jolted back to reality and punched the second. Culotte finished another small group off with his Mega Fire spell; all Ice and Wind._

Angelique looked up to see her mother's face was looking strange. "Mommy, what's wrong?"

"Nothing dear," Prier responded, "I was just thinking back to the last time we came here. You should have seen Francoise flailing about; it was her first real battle with La Pucelle. I put my heart and soul into each strike to keep my mind off my troubles. Well, let's continue onwards; it's not important."

S...S

They traveled to the back of the complex. Prier suddenly felt something; her instincts as a Demon Hunter were kicking in to warn her of danger. Suddenly, an Omega Fire hit them from out of the blue. At the last second, she pushed Angelique out of the range of the blast; the child missing the pain by just a fraction of an inch. However, that didn't make her any less frantic; she had to save her mother.

"Goddess! Hear my plea!" she called out. Instantly, the Cure spell was cast over the team.

As they began recovering, a low voice began to laugh. He said, "You do have an interesting little girl with you; Prier Dark Slayer. To think that you would rather push her out of the way than jump to safety yourself. Humans are such funny creatures in that regards. I certainly only care for myself."

Prier looked ahead to see the silhouette of a man; his black armor shining in the candlelight and his flesh reduced to bones. "I guess you don't really understand what it means to be a mother then. I would never let anything happen to my daughter. How dare you insinuate that I would be so heartless?"

"Looks like this is the boss of the ghosts," Francoise remarked, "You look a little hot dearie!" At that moment, Ice began to form on her gloves. She rushed at him; arm outstretched. The second her fist collided with his body, Ice began forming over the bones; knocking him back and causing damage.

"Starfall! Rain death o'er my enemies…" chanted Jacques. Suddenly, as he held his bazooka pointing towards the air, little bullets in the shapes of stars flew out of it. They began to crash down onto the specter. However, he easily shook the blast off; running right at Jacques and Francoise in retaliation.

At that instant, Angelique rushed forward. She held out both hands and they began to glow with white hot light. She yelled, "See the right path…Guiding Light!" Suddenly, out from her hands flew blasts of light; each one hitting the specter and stopping it in its path. As it turned towards her, she switched her focus. "Feel my wrath! Shadow Strike!" Just like before, her hands began to glow; only this time the glow was the power of darkness. Blasts of the black energy flew out of her hands; wounding the being.

"I am sorry Lady Sang," he groaned, "I failed to destroy the Dark Slayer as you wished." With that, his body was engulfed in dark fire; soon after he vanished from the world completely. Prier breathed a sigh of relief as she looked down towards her daughter. Who knew Angie was as strong as that even?

'This was the castle I was at when the others realized that I felt sick. They forced me to go to the Infirmary where Sister Cherrie found out that I was pregnant with Angelique. I guess its only fitting that she show her full might here as well. Perhaps I have been worrying too much; Angie can take care of herself in battle. But that's just the mother in me talking; wanting to protect my child,' thought Prier.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Now that we've gotten some bonding in the form of a mission, our villains are about to make an appearance. Lady Sang's intentions become even clearer as she chases The One and prepares to kill Prier for her Demon killing. Will they survive? Will Croix ever get his rear end back home to help? And if and when he does, how will he react to Angie?

Ok, maybe that was too dramatic. Don't worry, Croix is going to make it back. I just have to get the scene set up and put in a little more frustration for Prier.


	4. Wings

**Wings**

"Spawn of Darkness," an eerie voice called out through the void, "Accept your fate. You are to lead the Demons into battle to destroy humanity and create a paradise for our kind. Everything you have ever known and lived has been a lie; you are a being meant for nothing but destruction. Question that foolish mother of yours. She will have to tell you the truth when it is put out right in front of her face!"

"You lie! How can I be a Spawn of Darkness? I am a human being! My mother is definitely human and my father is too. Why would a Demon go about being a Demon Hunter? Leave me alone!" shrieked Angelique. She looked around to see the source of the voice to no avail; it had hidden itself.

A low chuckle responded with, "Your mother seduced your father into abandoning his own. He lost all of his power for a wretched human woman! Now he actually thinks that he is human. But you must realize the truth…Child of the Dark Prince!" His chuckle became full blown laughter at that point.

Suddenly, Angelique felt black fire rising from her back in the shape of wings. It was obviously drawing her closer towards the Demon; trying to turn her into one of them. However, the plans were interrupted when a light came down from the heavens. Looking up, the child saw two Angels floating above her; one with blond hair and blue eyes and the other with brown hair and brown eyes and a face resembling her mother's. A barrier surrounded Angie; shielding her from the Demon's power. The wings upon her back transformed into white hot light; breaking the spell and dispelling the nightmare around her.

S...S

Angelique woke up from her nightmare; sweat pouring down her face. She was terrified. 'That being said that Daddy was the Dark Prince. Can't be; Mommy killed him with the power lent to her by the Maiden of Light. And if that were so, then why would the Angels be protecting me? Poitreene's servants are the Angels while the Dark Prince is Calamity's. And Poitreene and Calamity are always fighting.'

She shrugged it off as a nightmare; fearful over what reason had driven her father from home to become a freelancer. There was no way a Demon as evil and powerful as the Dark Prince would have fallen for a human girl. Nor would someone who had devoted her life to slaying Demons fall for one.

S...S

"Eat your lunch Angie," Prier scolded, "You need to grow up big and strong. When Daddy gets back…he's going to be amazed at what a big girl you are." They were on a picnic with Culotte, Francoise, Jacques, Éclair, and Homard. Éclair was giggling at how stern Prier sounded without showing anger. She began to wish for a child of her own. Maybe in another two years or so; Homard and she were going to be married in about six months and that would give them some time to themselves before the kid.

"Hey Mommy…I was wondering about Daddy. Why is he on this journey? Why hasn't he come back home to you and me yet? I know we get letters from him all the time, but I just want to know more about my father," Angie blurted out. In truth, she feared her overactive imagination would say something far worse about him than him being the Dark Prince. Better to know the truth and quell those silly dreams.

Prier was stunned. She really didn't think now was the right time to tell Angie all about the reasons that Croix had for leaving; her full explanation had been that he had some unfinished business to attend to and he never knew that Prier was going to have a child when he left. The child had seemed content for awhile; why had she suddenly changed her mind and wanted to know? But of course, she had to tell her daughter something. She stated, "Well, he had to find peace of mind. Someone he really cared about was killed and he was so distraught that he nearly lost the will to live. It was only by meeting me that he found new strength to go on within himself. But he has to clear his mind of the past pain."

Suddenly, the same low chuckle from Angie's dream was heard in the forest. "Pathetic human woman! You aren't doing the girl any good by beating around the bush. Tell her of her real heritage; her Demon's blood. Tell her that her power should be used for the purpose of waging war on all humanity!"

"I think you've got the wrong person," Prier yelled back, "Either that or your band of Demons have less intelligence than a Zombie inflicted with Forgetfulness. Angelique's father is a human being; so am I the last time I checked." The angry growl told her that her message had been received in just the way she'd wanted it. Zombies were some of the stupidest creatures in the entire world without status ailments.

"Fine then! Taste my wrath! May your bloody body be an offering that Lady Sang presents to our Master when he returns from his joke trip into human society!" he screamed at her. At that moment, a dark smoke rose up in the clearing. And into the scene stepped a Gargoyle; one of the minor Demons.

Homard laughed. He stated, "If I remember correctly, Prier and her band have killed a ton of Gargoyles in the past; as well as their elevated forms. How hard can one more be?" He pulled out his swords as Éclair transformed into Dark Éclair; her Aura Sword clutched firmly in her right hand.

The Gargoyle let out a low shriek. Then it did something that none of the other Gargoyles the team had faced had done. His very voice seemed to effect the gravity in the clearing; pinning the group of Demon Slayers to the ground. Prier, noticing Angelique was unaffected by the spell, shrieked for her to run away. Get herself to safety so that she didn't have to suffer the same fate as her mother and friends.

However, Angelique was Prier's daughter in more ways than one. She refused to back down when those she loved were in danger. Not only that, but she had her mother's notorious temper problem. Since the beast didn't seem to notice that she was still free, the child stepped forward. Inside of her very heart she could hear two voices; a rough Demonic and a light Angelic one. They both told her to fight with every ounce of her strength; that her powers would protect her and her loved ones from the enemy.

Angie closed her eyes and concentrated. "Horus's Wings!" Suddenly, the same black fiery wings from her dream sprouted out from her back. Her body rose up off of the ground and faced her opponent. At that time, the flaming pinions tore from her back and struck at the Gargoyle. It turned to see whom had thrown the attack; who had used such Demonic force. Seeing the child, he was pleased at what she'd learned.

"You truly are the Spawn of Darkness," he congratulated, "I am proud that I will one day be serving you. Now that you see that dark power within yourself…you should understand why you must come along with me. Lady Sang and Lord Loup will be quite happy to see that you've grown so much."

"I am not one of you! I believe Mommy much more than some Demon. Some humans were just chosen to possess special powers and I happen to be one of them. Besides, Darkness isn't my only weapon. Divine Retribution!" she shrieked. At that time, the Wings of Light from her dream reappeared on her back. Like with her Dark spell, she floated in front of the enemy. But this time, beams of light had shot out at her enemy; not feathers as in her other skill. The Gargoyle cried out one last time and was gone. With his death, the spell was released and the others free from the control of the high gravity.

Culotte muttered, "So anyone who possesses Dark powers is automatically a Demon while anyone who possesses Light powers is automatically an angel. They should have told that one to Alouette; she was definitely human despite her high Holy power. Or Angelique; same thing there. And Croix was not a Demon; he had strong Dark powers but I could definitely feel a different type of life force than a Demon when we fought him at the church. I guess Demons think just like humans used to."

Prier looked at her child; fearful that the full truth might come out at any time. 'They know that her father was the Dark Prince. But they think he's a Demon. So they're putting two and two together to say that Angie is a powerful half-Demon and they're not going to make the same mistakes they did with Noir. So things should be getting much more hectic around here. I won't let them get her; they'd die trying.'

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

One thing you should know about me is that I have this huge obsession with wings; playing Breath of Fire games and making Nina one of your best party members, as well as listening to Virginia's colorful analogies in Wild ARMs 3 will do that to a girl.

If the Demon's intentions were too obvious, then don't worry. I knew that any references to Darkness might bring about the same reactions. But now we've got to see how Prier deals with this. How much crap is she going to put up with?

My updating policy is twofold. A) I update after I get at least one review; not because I'm vain but because I want to make sure readers get too far behind. B) I update on Mondays, Wendsdays, and Fridays because I've seen that every day can get a little too overwhelming from my 3 plus years as a writer. Though I do update sometimes on the other days if I go awhile without reviews and then get one; however it is counted as the next posting day in line. Also if I wait a few weeks I tend to yell "screw it" and post anyway.

Croix's powers aren't explained that much in this story, however I am currently working on another fic that is a series of flashbacks into his childhood with him telling Prier about it. His powers have more focus in that one.


	5. Bodyguard Blues

**Bodyguard Blues**

Three months had passed; it was nearly time for the annual festival to commemorate La Pucelle's victory over Noir and the Dark Prince. Not that anything was going right for Prier and her friends. Sister Romaine had decided that since the Demons were after Angelique, she should hire a bodyguard to help protect her daughter. Of course, the bodyguards were more interested in coming on to their charge's single mother than watching the child. Prier had laid the smackdown on more men than she could count and after seeing that she wasn't a potential date, and quite violent, they would run far away from there.

"Why can't we get a single reliable bodyguard?" she questioned one day while her unit was working out, "I have an inventory of every one that tried to touch my breasts, every one that tried to slap my rear, and every one that either asked me to dinner or to bed! The add says it plain as day, 'Wanted: one bodyguard for a three year old girl. Must like children and helping out members of the clergy. See Sister Prier at the Church of the Holy Maiden in Pot au Feu City. PS…the Sister is already taken and is not accepting any applications for a new boyfriend at the moment. Must keep your hands off of her!'"

"You're getting the mercenaries Prier. Most of us don't travel with ladies so we get bored. That's why any would jump at the chance to help out a woman and perhaps get a date from her. I think they miss the PS because they instantly see the name 'Sister Prier' and know they're going to be working for a girl. I'm one of the rare exceptions to the rule about hitting on random girls I meet in work," Jacques said.

Prier roared, "But if you look closely genius, you'll see Francoise is flirting with every one of them. They do have female companionship to think about! Not like every girl in the church is off limits, just me. They're just lucky that Croix isn't around; if he ever got jealous then I'd shudder to think at what'd go on."

Jacques didn't question any further; he didn't want to know if Prier was dating someone with a temper as explosive as hers. He returned to his stretches; keeping his body in tip top shape would do wonders in battle. Over to one side he could see Francoise was working out with a punching bag, Culotte had a set of spell dummies, and Angelique was twirling her baton; Prier joining her daughter to practice.

At that moment, Sister Romaine entered; clearly flustered at the mess Prier had gotten herself into. "How many bodyguards are you going to scare off Sister Prier? We need every available hand in La Pucelle to protect your daughter from the Demons. But if they get past our units or she needs to be on a mission, she will need the extra protection. What do we do then? Hand this little girl over to them?"

"Tell them to stop groping me and coming on to me," demanded Prier, "I refuse to be some sexual bait for a mercenary. Just because I have a daughter doesn't make me a whore! There are a lot of single parents who lost their mates due to unfortunate circumstances; cuz of death for the most part."

"Well we have a new candidate; I hope you won't scare this one off. His name is Chevalier and he hails from far across the sea; someone Homard seems to have known when he was a boy," the Sister told her. She left to reveal a blond man wearing a suit. He had a sword belt around his middle with a long blade in a sheath. His eyes were dark brown and he seemed to have an air of nobility about him.

Francoise screamed, "He's cute!" She would have continued onward except Culotte threw an apple at her; if she scared the bodyguards away then they might lose the one good one that wouldn't do the stupid thing and flirt with Prier. Jacques looked down at the comatose girl and sighed; she was the most insane girl he'd ever met topping even Prier. But despite her flaws, he had to admit she was nice.

Chevalier walked up to Prier and bowed. "Fair lady…I am here to serve you. Fear not! No Demon would bring harm to your child while on my watch; not even the vile Dark Prince himself! Well, that is if he woke up again; I trust that the Maiden of Light from 50 years ago did her job thoroughly."

'He doesn't know the half of the story,' thought Prier, 'I hope he knows how to keep his hands to himself. I am dog tired of dealing with crazies. Croix…I hope you come home when I am in a better mood than this. Because I might just deck you for being away and thus making me hire these morons.'

S...S

The day before the festival, everyone was setting up the fair booths. Well, everyone except Culotte. He had gone to Alouette's grave to commemorate her funeral. The young boy whispered, "I wish you were still here. Even after four years I still can't shake the thoughts that there might have been a way to save you. But that's crazy talk; you were always telling us that it was your destiny to die then."

So caught up in his reverie, he didn't notice his niece walking up to him; Chevalier following to keep her in line. "Uncle Culotte…whose grave is this? I thought it belonged to the late Sister Alouette; who gave her life to help Mommy fight the big bad Demon. Were you in love with her or something?" At the sound of her voice, the youth turned crimson. He looked back to see his niece had indeed followed him along with her bodyguard; Prier must not yet have noticed that they were gone from the fairgrounds.

"Yes, I did," he whispered, "I never talk much about it because it hurts. I should have saved her."

"Forget about that foolish Maiden! We Demons are quite happy that she's gone; she screwed up our plans almost as much as the Dark Slayer. Her death to us is considered one down and one more to go! Once Prier Dark Slayer is dead then we can return the Master to his true state of power; and bring The One to her full power as well. But we'll start here; weaken her resolve first," a wicked voice called.

At once, a large Demon resembling a green Dagon appeared. It clapped its claws at the trio and charged for Culotte. However, Angelique ran in front of the path; determined to protect her family. She screamed, "Uncle Culotte! Let's blast 'em!" She concentrated hard and a large ball of light began to form in between her hands. The same held true for Culotte. They tossed their energy at once; striking the creature dead center. But Chevalier was way too close to the blast and ended up being knocked back. And of course, because nothing is ever simple around this gang, he fell right onto Prier as she passed.

He came to and saw a very angry Sister looking at him. "You pervert! How dare you try to have your way with an innocent girl like me! I don't know how you pulled this stunt but you'd bet you're going to pay for it!" She slammed him with her baton; leading to a complex chase around the entire field with Chevalier trying to get away from an annoyed Prier. Culotte and Angelique sat down to watch the fun.

S...S

"This job looks real interesting," a man stated, "Right up my alley. 'Wanted: one bodyguard for a three year old girl. Must like children and helping out members of the clergy. See Sister Prier at the Church of the Holy Maiden in Pot au Feu City. PS…the Sister is already taken and is notaccepting any applications for a new boyfriend at the moment. Must keep your hands off of her!' Sounds about right. I should get there right away before something explodes; mercenaries can tend to be quite perverted."

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

We had to add the little humor in this chapter to lighten up the mood between the Demon's true intentions coming out and the crap that'll happen over time. So I added in a mercenary and an unfortunate incident cause him to anger Prier. Cuz every time Prier blows up its funny. Chevalier means knight; we needed a good warrior name but the others didn't cut it. He's some minor nobleman from Marl who heard about the job from Homard and thus studied up on Paprican beliefs and legends in order to be better informed; you don't have to think about it too much.


	6. Return

**Return**

Although he apologized for the incident and Prier realized he wasn't trying to come on to her, Chevalier left because he couldn't work with a loonie like Prier. Sister Romaine ended up giving her a nice lecture on jumping to conclusions; the hunter realized how much like Alouette her boss sounded.

So on the day of the festival, Angelique was without a bodyguard again. She did perform in the pageant; even catching the second baton and twirling both of them at the same time. By the end of the children's show, Prier was all smiles; excited to see her only child doing well. She smiled and embraced the girl. This was the proudest moment of Prier's life; even prouder then defeating the Dark Prince.

"Sister Prier!" called Sister Romaine, "We have a new bodyguard candidate here. This time, I hope to Poitreene that you don't scare him away. Though I think you're going to be good now." She gave her that eye that told Prier that it would be quite miserable if somehow her next one ran off too.

"Ok, I'll go and meet him. But I'm taking Culotte, Francoise, and Jacques along with me. If he pulls any stunts then they can vouch for me. And Angie needs to come along to meet the bodyguard as well. Is it ok for our unit to be deployed to that area of the festival?" Prier questioned in a joking manner.

Sister Romaine replied, "Watch your tongue young lady. It would be ok to bring your unit; not like I've ever made you meet with those men in private if it feels uncomfortable for you. Just make sure you don't have Francoise scaring him off either; I know that two men left because she gave them the chills."

Prier looked at her. "Done deal. I'll just gather them up and we'll wait for him in the office. That's the most official place to conduct an interview. Besides, I have a lot of ammunition with all the books you keep around." She left and Sister Romaine sighed. No matter what happened, Prier would never learn.

S...S

They were sitting around the office playing Go Fish; though Jacques plainly preferred poker, it was not a game that Angelique was old enough to understand. Francoise, eager to see if the new guy was a hottie, made sure to position herself facing the door. She did earn a few hard glares from Prier and Jacques; the former wishing she would control herself a little more around men and the latter having a strange sting of jealousy in his heart. Culotte simply concentrated on the cards in his hands; he was a notoriously unlucky Go Fish player and it seemed that he lost no matter who he played in a game with.

At last, the door opened. The man was barely inside when Francoise's familiar scream lit up the air. She leapt high up and grabbed him around the neck; shrieking all about how handsome he was at how she wanted to go on a date with him. Though he was protesting quite a bit about losing his breath.

"Lady cut it out!" he stammered, "For one, I already have a girlfriend and she wouldn't like me going out with another woman. And for two…you're squeezing me way too tightly!" At the sound of a man gasping for breath, the team looked up. Angelique, knowing her mother would be even more violent, lunged at Francoise and began using her baton as a crowbar. Soon, she let go and fell into a hit over the head by Prier. But the exerted force was harder than usual; this wasn't the usual PO'ed Prier hitting her.

"You pain in the rear end! I hope you feel lucky that Angie was in the room; if she wasn't I'd give you an even worse beating for this stunt! Of all the things you could do…" Prier yelled. Culotte looked up to see the reason his sister was so mad. He eyed the recovering mercenary and let out a small gasp!

Lucky for them, nobody was hurt; even Francoise recovered quite quickly. A little laugh escaped the mouth of the man in the doorway. He stated, "Prier…you sure have found an interesting friend. And I thought guys could be bad; can't even order a quiet drink without hearing them try for every girl in the bar. So…how have you been? And what is the full details of this little job? All I know am I have to baby-sit."

Prier calmed down a great deal at this point. Her wish had come true. "Well I wouldn't call her 'interesting', Croix, I'd call her a pain in the rear. She's gotten us in trouble by flirting with guys before. A few times their jealous girlfriends began getting catty and started a fight. When that happens, I'm the one who has to save her ass. And if she tries this little stunt with you again, then I am so going to kill her!"

"Don't worry," Croix replied, "You know I have no interest in her. I've already given my heart away…" That comment was met with an incredible blush from Prier; knowing he was talking about her. Francoise looked back towards Culotte and Jacques; no wonder Prier had been so hung up on this guy.

'She called him "Croix"! That's the same name that she let slip some time ago in one of her tirades. I was wondering back then if that was the name of my missing father. Not only that, but I'd never seen Mommy treat one of Sister Francoise's incidents so harshly. It has to be,' Angelique told herself.

The child walked up to her mother; who was still conversing about something or other with the new bodyguard. Angelique wanted to speak, but found that she had no clearance. So she tugged on the end of Prier's clothing and stated, "Excuse me; Mommy. Is this man who just came in here my Daddy?"

Prier looked over at her child; knowing this question would have come up sooner or later. What a resourceful and intelligent girl Angie was. But Croix was clearly shocked; after all, Prier had never told anything to him about a child. In fact, if he'd had a cigarette in his mouth, it would have fallen out by now. "When did you have a kid? I know you weren't pregnant when I left?"

"Remember the night before genius?" Prier responded angrily, "We spent the entire time together in my room. I didn't know for three more months and had no way to get in touch with you and give the news. Besides, I knew you'd break your neck getting home. Then if you stayed you'd be real restless. If you left again, you'd worry way too much about us and do something utterly stupid! It was better not to know."

"What Prier means is that she was too worried about you to burden you with her little problems. We were ok by ourselves. I helped my sister as best as I could and we had Francoise to back us up. But things have gotten a little hectic as of late and that's why we need the extra manpower," Culotte told him.

Croix said, "I wouldn't expect Prier to come out and say that she's worried. But I know her well enough to understand how she feels. Nice of you to think of me. However, I'd like to know what is so urgent that it involves a bodyguard? Unless she gets into as much trouble as you do on a daily basis."

Prier looked down. "Demons are after her. I don't know what their problem is but I'll bet any amount of money they're up to no good. However, I'm almost certain it has to do with the fact that she's naturally talented at both Dark and Light powers. Probably think they can use her for their little games."

Croix held his gun up as if to salute. "Well don't worry. We'll make this through together. I know you would never let them hear it down. And I'm not going to fail someone that I love again! Maybe I only just met my daughter today…but I'm going to do what any other father would and protect her from harm."

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

And Croix enters the scene. More revelations and fun next chapter. It takes place not too long after this one, but things start to pick up. It took me weeks to figure out how to do this scene. Had to make it perfect. I had a ton of other ideas such as Angie getting kidnapped and Croix unknowingly saving his own daughter, Prier being wounded while protecting the child and Croix finding her, Angie getting lost and running into her father, ect. But I went with the bodyguard for hire in the end.


	7. Spectrum

**Spectrum**

They spent the rest of the day talking about the situation. Of course, Angie was out of the room for most of the time; Culotte telling the child that her parents probably wanted some time alone. They started off simply speaking about their little girl; the assumption that Croix would have liked to name his daughter "Angelique" turned out to be quite true. But then they got into the urgent issues. Prier told Croix in detail what had happened when the Demon had attacked the group. The beast's leaders assumed that because her father was the Dark Prince, she was half Demon and they weren't going to make the same mistake as before when they alienated Noir who in turn became mightier than many other Demon Lords.

"She was born special," Prier stated, "It wasn't noticeable at first, but after about a year or so, her powers began showing. Culotte had been injured on a mission and was out of power to heal himself. So he'd been forced to hold it all in until returning to the Infirmary. Angie saw her uncle was wounded and cast Iyashi. Then, when a stray Demon found its way into town when she was about two, cornering her in the bedroom while I took a bath, she used her first attack spells; Shadow Strike for Darkness and Guiding Light for Light. Of course, they were no where near as powerful as they are now. She developed two new skills the day we were attacked while on the picnic; Horus's Wings for Darkness and Divine Retribution for Light. What Sister Romaine thinks the Demons believe is that she gets the Dark powers from you, as a Demon, and her Light powers from me, as a Sister of Poitreene. They wish to override her balance and bring out even darker attack spells."

"That's nonsense! Special Children don't get their powers from their parents. Certainly, my mother and father did not have Dark powers. And Angelique's only relative with power was her twin sister; usually when it comes to power what one twin has the other has as well if they're identical. Her name was Soeur, and she actually left Fatima on a ship about two and a half monthsbefore Angelique was murdered; warning us that we should flee as well. The only reason we didn't was because the villagers all needed her…" Croix trailed off. Prier didn't like getting on the subject of Croix's past a lot; she knew he still hurt deep inside.

She told him, "Don't worry about it too much. What's done is done. You can feel a whole lot better about yourself if you simply look too the future. Now, you have someone to protect from harm; to devote your life to at all costs. That's what has kept me going through all of the uncertainty. I knew that if something happened to me, Angelique would be all alone. And I never wanted my daughter to be hurt."

Croix smiled. "Thank you Prier. Sometimes I wish I could be as upbeat about things as you…"

"It's called looking on the bright side of things," Prier replied, "We feel a whole lot better about ourselves when we stick to that. Think of it this way…you have a job that entails you being close to home and spending practically every second of the day with your family. And I know you really want to know your daughter. I can see it in your eyes how happy you were to find out that we had a child that night."

"My past is so stained with blood that I have trouble doing what you do. Perhaps that's one of the things I most admire about you Prier," Croix whispered. He suddenly remembered what he wanted to give her; even in all of this commotion, how could he forget such an important item? Reaching into his pocket, the young Demon Hunter pulled out a small box. But suddenly, a child's scream interrupted him.

A panicky Prier yelled, "That's Angelique's voice! Some Demons might have gotten inside the church! We've got to find her quickly!" At that instant, both Prier and Croix raced off at top speed. The Demons would regret ever picking a fight with either of them. Croix was so bent on finding atonement for his sins that he went all out in any battle that involved protecting the innocent; or if someone had the nerve to mess with his loved ones. And we all know how much Prier can fly off the handle when slighted; and unfortunately, so do the many Demons she faced.

S...S

In the auditorium, Francoise, Jacques, Culotte, and Angelique were standing their ground against Loup; Lady Sang's most reliable warrior. Angie was hit by a stray blast and knocked against the wall. He showed them his wolfish grin as he stared down the group of humans and the wounded daughter of their master. 'Oh great Dark Prince…I do not know whether you are in hiding as a human, have been cursed by the humans, or have fallen for the woman whose child you sired. But no matter what, it is my solemn duty as the last of the Lycanthropes to see you restored. I remember how you slaughtered the humans that had been our sworn enemies; that had murdered my family when I was but a pup. From that day forward, I had put my faith and loyalty in your cause; when the day came for the final showdown between you and humanity, I would proudly fight and die to make sure you won.'

"I don't know what your issue is Wolfie," Jacques stated, "But whatever the case, I'm more afraid of what Prier would do if we lost Angelique than your claws. Hope you like pain!" He aimed his bazooka right at the chest of his enemy. Suddenly, the barrel got a lot larger and an economy sized bullet sped out of it. It collided with Loup's chest and knocked him backwards. However, even that didn't make a dent in the creature. If anything, the werewolf was even more mad at the mercenary's heavy hitting.

"Oh Jacques…" called Francoise. She had seen how Prier and Culotte, Prier and Angelique, or Angelique and Culotte combined their powers together to form a stronger attack. So for the last three months, she had worked with Jacques on one of their own. First, Francoise called Fire into her fists and hit; followed by Jacques shooting a fiery projectile. Then, Francoise called Ice into her fists and hit; followed by Jacques shooting an icicle. Finally, Francoise called Wind into her fists and hit; followed by Jacques shooting a gust of wind. However, Loup simply laughed and knocked both humans back with only his fist.

Culotte walked forward; he was now the last line of defense protecting his niece. Tossing his backpack to the ground, he laughed. Suddenly, a white kitty with a jet pack flew out of the pack, enlarged, and fell right on top of Loup. But unlike most of the Demons Culotte had tossed this at, the werewolf lifted the heavy weapon as if it were made of aluminum, and tossed it into the side of the church; damaging it.

He then finished Culotte off with a kick; knocking the boy back into the piano. "Don't you see it yet? We Demons are much stronger than you humans. If you wish to live, though I don't see why I should let any of your kind survive, you will hand over the master's daughter quietly. He needs to be reawakened after what that bitch Prier did to him. Then we can all fight against humanity as one."

"You talk too much," Croix stated as he entered the room with Prier, "For one, I'm not your master. For two, I don't like the idea of Demons touching my daughter. And for three, never call Prier a "bitch;" you don't want to see me when I get angry. See you in Hell!" With that, Croix pulled out his bazooka, fired it, and was thrown back.

'Master…but why? I must tell Lady Sang about this development,' Loup thought. He opened a portal and stepped inside; returning to the Dark World. But Prier and Croix were smart enough to know that he'd be back. These Demons wouldn't rest until they had Angie and had revived Croix's Dark side.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

I thought it would be interesting to see Croix protect her. I wouldn't want either him or Prier for my enemies; I value my life way too much for that. Well, the next few chapters are devoted to Angie's power and what happens when the enemies actually find a plan to defeat our heroes; how will they overcome the new obstacles? And will Croix ever be able to give his gift to Prier?

Soeur means Sister in French; referring to both that she was Angelique's older twin and also a Sister of Poitreene. And that wasn't just a random tidbit, but an idea to be further developed. She's a vital character to the future of the plot at some point.

I know they were a little too cheerful last chapter. I think Prier threw all of her frustrations onto Francoise when she knocked her out. And we'll have to wait a long time to see Croix's gift; one thing will lead to another in this fic real fast.


	8. The One

**The One**

Croix was cradling his young daughter in his arms; tending to her injuries with the herbs he carried in his pack. Prier in the meanwhile was applying the same treatment to Culotte; after all, if they got their healer up and running they could easily protect the others. Soon, just as she began to hear her brother moan, Angelique let out a small cry. In her excitement, Prier dropped Culotte, who woke up with a start, and ran right over to her beloved and their child. She was going to be just fine after the battle.

"Daddy…Mommy…" she whispered, "I'm glad to see that you're ok too. And that we're all one family now. I trust you; the Demons were lying when they said you were one of them. There's no aura of evil emitting from your body; not a Demonic one and not one of wild Dark Energy. You're a human being."

"Angelique…I'm so sorry…sorry I couldn't be there for you and your mother," replied Croix. The child showed him her brightest smile; the same beautiful one he had seen on Prier's face at so many times during their adventures, the same beacon that had given him the strength to free his tortured soul.

Angie told him, "You don't have to apologize. I can see that your heart was and still is filled with grief. Mommy said that you lost someone really dear to you and it drove you to despair. You now feel regret for the things you did following it. But I cannot sense what exactly caused that pain; what you did."

Prier looked towards the child. Then she looked to Croix. It was time to tell her the full truth about her origins and her father's past. "I know I have kept a lot from you Angelique. But I didn't want you to hate your father before even meeting him. Now that the Demons are advancing and you know that your father is a good man, I must explain everything. It all started 200 years ago; in the days when those who followed Poitreene's teachings were hunted as witches and an ancient land rang with corruption…"

S...S

As Prier told her daughter the sad story of Croix's past and the world's greatest threat, Culotte worked to heal the others; still a little mad at Prier for dropping him but letting it slide because he wasn't one to hold a grudge. Angelique hung onto every word; the tears flowing freely when her namesake was murdered, when her mother and father were forced apart when he transformed, and when Croix left.

"I understand it all now," she whispered, "Why they always called me Child of the Dark Prince and Spawn of Darkness. They must have thought Daddy was a Demon who fell in love with humanity. But there's a difference between a human possessed by Darkness and a Demon; they have a different feel."

"I sensed that too. When we faced a half-Demon like Noir, there was one type of feeling. A full Demon like those three bigger lords, a different. And Croix gave off a third type of feeling when we faced him at the church, as well as the time on the hill or in Couscous Village. Professional hunters can figure it out. But the Demons probably just assume every being that has Darkness in their hearts is one of them," Culotte explained. Meanwhile, Francoise gasped at the truth they'd just found out. She had always been told that the Dark Prince had been killed by Prier; well, she understood that technically that was the truth.

Noticing Francoise's expression, Culotte told her, "You have to understand my sister. She fell in love and well when you're in love you do strange things. Not only that, but the Holy Book itself says that we're to try and help even the worst of sinners to repent. Prier did just that; just what the Goddess tells us to do. She even had the blessing of the Maiden of Light; also understanding how my sister really felt."

Francoise looked away. "It's just so hard to take in. I mean, I lost several good friends when the Demons made their attack on Mayonnaise Harbor to lure you away from Sister Alouette. And then the Church itself was nearly destroyed by the Dark Prince. Now you're all telling me that I can trust him!"

"You can," Jacques told her, "It took me a little while to realize it, but Croix was the one who pulled me out of the river two years ago. I could tell his heart was heavy with some burden from the moment I saw him. Never expected this, but I do understand a little bit about the nature of the human soul; my father is a scholar. You see, in moments of pain and anguish, most everyone screams out the cruelest things; things they wish they could take back only a second later. Someone with naturally Dark powers screaming those things out might cause them to go berserk. Croix's anger was probably so bad that his powers were magnified a lot more than the average berserker. Thus Calamity arrived to assure he would never become human again. Lucky for us, the late Sister Alouette was quite resourceful."

"There's one thing that still bugs me though. The Demons want Angelique because she is the daughter of the Dark Prince. But they can't sense her to be a half-Demon; just that she has incredible powers. If there are no Demonic tendencies in her soul…why would she want to harm us?" Francoise asked everyone. Nobody had an answer though. Prier simply scoffed and said she'd kick the ass of any Demon that tried to take her daughter away; Croix followed up with a nod. Culotte mentioned that he could ask Éclair or Homard to check out their families' extensive libraries. Jacques simply shrugged.

Suddenly, a familiar voice called out, "The answer is right in front of your eyes; it's just hiding itself inside the information you already know. If one man can be driven to Darkness through his powers and despair, why can't they do the same thing with his child; also possessing incredible powers? All the Demons think is needed is to eliminate the Light half of her power and to unleash her Dark Side fully."

Prier snapped her head around to see two Angels in the back of the room; two very familiar looking Angels I might add. "Alouette! Angelique! What are you two doing here? Get jobs as Guardian Angels or something?" Culotte blushed at the sight of his childhood crush, Francois looked like she had more excitement then she could handle, Jacques looked indifferent, and Croix clutched his daughter.

"Well, yes and no," Alouette stated, "Simply put it, we're watching out for her because I know she is probably just like you; always getting herself into trouble whether or not it's through a fault of her own. But the Demons have tried once through her dreams to unleash her Dark Side. It was lucky that we caught them in time and were able to pull her Light Side into Defense mode; balancing her body again."

"I remember! You two were the Angels who helped me that time. I woke up from the nightmare so afraid that I didn't want to tell Mommy about it. But I do remember that there were two nice Angels floating up above me; shielding me from harm. How can I keep myself in balance anyway? They could try the same thing again and if you can't find out in time…I can't unleash it on my own," Angie lamented.

She looked up to see the brown-haired Angel, the one whose name she had inherited, walk forward and put her hand on the child's shoulder. Then, she stated, "It's been sleeping within you this entire time. However, to unleash your full power and protect yourself from Demon influence, you will need to find and unite the two halves of yourself. But it's very dangerous and you should ask your parents first before you try anything. For nobody can come with you into your heart to help you fight."

Prier looked to Croix; she wanted her daughter to be protected but feared for her life at the same time. He nodded. "If it worked for Éclair, it can work for our daughter. She's a strong girl and I believe in her power. I'm confident that she can make it through this without any scratches on her whatsoever."

"Then I believe in her too," Prier said, "Angelique…Alouette…we leave her to you for now."

The two Angels concentrated and suddenly the young girl began glowing with a bright light. She let out a small cry before collapsing on the floor. But she was most definitely breathing. Since she was inside of her own heart to search for her two halves, she was definitely not looking through the real world.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Kind of a last minute idea, but I think on the fly and it suits me well. Next time, Angie must look for the esccences ofher Light and Dark powers. She has to convince them to work together to protect them all from the Demons.


	9. Darkness and Light

**Darkness and Light**

Unlike the forest description she had been given of Éclair's heart, or the town that had been ingrained in her father's heart, Angelique only saw an empty void of blue light swirling around her. She did not know the exact reason, but assumed because she had no longings. Éclair's want of freedom from the crushing burdens of royalty caused her to envision a beautiful forest. Croix had been wishing for the past that had been stolen from him; and the life that had been swept away because of a cruel murder.

"I only wanted to meet my daddy and be able to stand by my mommy," Angelique stated, "Now that he's home and since I haven't yet been denied a chance to fight, I have nothing I truly want. But that means I can't look for a landmark like Mommy did; it will be more challenging to find either of my sides."

"Hey! You! What are you doing in my territory? Did that other little brat hire you to come and beat me up for her? I am not going to let her win! This is my body…you hear me!" a tiny voice shrieked from behind. Angelique spun around to see what appeared to be her own self. However, the girl's eyes were red and her hair contained black streaks running through it. Her ears were slightly pointed and a pair of horns came out of her head. On her back was a pair of wings; just like the ones she summoned when she cast Horus's Wings. For clothes, she wore a black dress in the same style as Angie's with a black bow tied around her waist, black boots, and a black headband with a black rose over the left ear.

Angelique looked to the girl and inquired, "Are you my Dark half? I was told to seek out the essences of my power in order to become stronger. Please…you don't want the Demons to take over our soul. You can never trust them; they're going to hurt Mommy and Uncle and cause Daddy more pain!"

The girl snubbed up her nose. "And why should I care? When was Daddy ever here for us? He left for his own selfish reasons and never returned to tell Mommy in person that he was alive. And you know what else? Mommy sees us as only a burden. All we do is cause trouble; Demons following us around and making more problems for La Pucelle. If we'd never been born, she could have gone off and followed Daddy like she wanted; she's not so pure hearted, her entire life has been a selfish one and all."

"Diable!" another voice called out, "How can you say such things about Mommy? She has given up her entire existence for us. True, she could have followed Daddy. But she stayed to care for us. In the beginning, she let him go alone because it was his own will and she didn't want to leave her brother in his despair over losing Alouette. However, she wanted to go and find him once Uncle Culotte had gotten over his pain. She might have gone and gotten herself hurt in empty rage if we hadn't been born. For she would have no idea where to go next and what if Daddy had come back while she was gone? That was the real reason she didn't go out. We prevented her from losing her head in her longing because we were a final present left by him. And Daddy wasn't selfish; he left so Mommy didn't suffer for his sins."

A second little girl ran up to them. Like Diable, she was a replica of Angelique. However, her eyes were crystal blue and her hair had white streaks running through it. On her back was the exact set of angelic wings that appeared when Angie summoned Divine Retribution. Her dress was white with a white bow tied around her waist, white boots, and a white headband with a white rose over her left ear.

"You're such a goody-goody Ange! Everyone is so saintly to you. What about our father's past? Was that saintly? And what kind of a wuss has to get himself captured and have his girlfriend rescue him? Especially someone who is supposed to be an all powerful evil force? He's just a failure," Diable yelled.

Ange retorted, "Darkness consumes humans when their souls have been weakened by tragedy. Daddy wasn't the first and he won't be the last. But he was lucky to be rescued from that deep pit. I'm surprised you don't look up to him more because he had Darkness in his heart. You are our Dark half."

Diable turned away. "Maybe if he wasn't such a weakling. But anyway…you stay out of my business! I can destroy the Demons all by myself. They are not going to control me! I know that you and our little neutral self are too weak to handle it. I feel uneasy every time she calls on you to fight for her."

"And I feel uneasy every time she calls on you," remarked Ange, "You have never shown any concern for anyone else; not Mommy, not Daddy, not Uncle, not Francoise, not Jacques. What if one day you ignore their predicament and instead consider your own plight; even to the point of running away and abandoning them? How could Angelique and I live with ourselves if you caused us to leave them to die?"

"I would never! Besides…how could any of them ever love me? I'm a being of Darkness. No one could love someone who has no Light within them," Diable lamented. She turned away from them as if she was going to leave. However, Angelique clearly could see that she was crying and trying to hide it.

Angelique told her Dark half, "You're wrong. Mommy loved Daddy even throughout all he had done; even though the Darkness was eating away at him. She wouldn't have killed the Darkness if it had left them in peace. We humans are not complete without Darkness. If I don't have you, I'm just a shell."

Diable looked towards her Light half. She saw Ange nodding in agreement. "It is true. We are all one part of the same being. You are the essence of her Dark powers. I am the essence of her Light powers. If one of us were to disappear, she could not control those skills anymore and be in more danger. The Demons can fight the powers of Light because they are accustomed to it. They can fight the powers of Darkness because they themselves possess it. But together, those two powers can defeat even the most stubborn of Demons. That's just what I've been trying to tell you for the past three months Diable."

"Working together…? Mommy will still love me…?" Diable questioned. She no longer sounded like the foul mouthed brat only looking out for herself, but a scared child who only wanted to be loved. In response to this, both Angelique and Ange walked over to her and the three entered a large group hug.

"How touching," remarked a shady voice, "But it ends here. I will rid this heart of all that is pure and come to posses that Darkness for Lady Sang! Come…Child of the Dark Prince! Your father may have lost his will to kill, but as his heir you will rise to help us destroy the humans and rule the world!"

The trio turned to see a large Demon in the shape of a Lion. His mane was golden yellow and his fur the softer shade of tan. The eyes were blood red and horns stuck out of his head. Like Loup, he wore a black suit of armor. However, this one carried a large battle ax in his hands; ready to strike the girls.

"We have to work together! If even one of us is disjoined, then it could spell disaster. If not, the Demons will win and we will no longer be ourselves. There will be no Mommy to love any of us!" Angie exclaimed. She saw both sides of herself nod in agreement. Diable and Ange joined hands and began to concentrate. Suddenly, bright lights of white and black rose up from them and merged with Angelique.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

You all have to wait for next time to see how Angelique gets through this one. Now that her heart has come together as one, can she muster the strength to defeat this Demon? The names Diable and Ange mean Devil and Angel. Had to make it sound cool enough.

These two are the reason for Angelique's small stints of intelligence. Because they are entities, they are naturally more intelligent than humans. However, their maturity level is usually around that of a three year old because they are still a part of Angelique.

Dang, I've got to stop listening to my kid sister's arguments. She just gave me a killer idea for a short sidestory taking place about three years after this fic...


	10. Combination

**Combination**

"I commend you," stated the Demon, "For such a young child, you have managed to kill several seasoned warriors. My name is Leone; warrior in service of Lady Sang and Lord Loup. You will come with me and follow your true destiny at long last. It is what was meant to be; if he were in his right state of mind, your father would agree with me. The curse of that woman will be broken at last hear and now!"

"Not today! I won't let anyone hurt me, Mommy, or Daddy!" Angie shrieked. Suddenly, the lights that had surrounded her died down. The young girl was unchanged from her Neutral/True form, wearing the white dress with black lining, ribbons, bow, headband, and boots, and her hair and eyes were their natural colors, however she now had wings; her right one was like what Ange had while her left one mimicked Diable's. A cross was tattoed on top of her right hand while a pentagram was on her left one.

Leone laughed at her and boomed, "It doesn't matter what sort of form you take! In the end, you are still the spawn of the Dark Prince! You know it in your heart where your loyalty should lie. When you are fully awakened, then your father too will realize the truth and return to help us wage war against the human race! Now then…come quietly and I won't have to hurt you." He brandished his enormous ax.

Angelique looked him over; this was going to be a tough challenge. 'I can't charge right into the fray of battle; he's bigger, stronger, and smarter. Somehow, I've got to wait for an opening to take advantage of. Then, I canuse the power that wishes to come out. Both my Light and Dark sides want to work together to create one powerful attack that can knock this jerk right off of his feet and onto the floor.'

Leone swung downwards, however Angelique was nimble enough to evade the blow. She jumped back and he took another swing. It went on like this for what seemed like forever. Angie knew that you can't win on Defense alone, but it was the only option available to her when she was alone and up against such a powerful opponent. And every time he swung, he seemed to get more and more tired.

'If I can somehow get his ax caught on something or wear him down, then I can strike,' the young girl told herself, 'Weakening his defenses and neutralizing his strengths is the only way to fight an enemy this powerful. Mommy wouldn't think like this though; I must get this side of myself from Uncle Culotte.'

"What are you doing? Against the others you struck like a wild cat! But now you're just running like a scared little rabbit. Not so strong without your mother and friends to back you up? Well tough! Get over it ya brat! You won't have them around forever; they're going to die with the humans," he threatened.

Just then, Leone swung his ax down and hit what appeared to be a stone pillar. It stuck fast and he tried to pull it out. Angelique smiled; this was what she was waiting for. The girl called out, "Light of Angels Darkness of Demons!" She shrieked as the power began to flow through her; Light in the cross tattoo and Light wing, Darkness in the pentagram tattoo and Dark wing. Aiming her palms right at her enemy's position, she fired. Both energies ran straight at him; he barely had time to scream before being incinerated. Just then, both white and black lights surrounded Angie; she was returning to her own world.

S...S

The girl awoke to find her mother cradling her in her arms and her father sitting by her side. Uncle Culotte was off to one side looking over at Alouette; who was scolding Francoise for the antics she had been partaking in over the years. Jacques stared at Francoise as well; his mind obviously lost in the clouds. Finally, Auntie Angelique, as she decided to call her namesake, was preparing a healing spell in case the child had been injured. Seeing she was unharmed, the group let out a collective sigh of relief.

Prier hugged her daughter close to her body. "Thank the Goddess that you're not hurt! I know I could believe in you, but my maternal instinct caused me to worry. So…how did it go?" Angie looked into her eyes and told her the entire story about how she'd convinced her two stubborn halves to work as a team to kill the Demon. Then, she spoke about her new attack; how she'd used both elements at once.

"It could probably help us now that they're upping the ante," Culotte told the others, "I mean, Angie surprises the enemy enough when she uses both elements back to back. Imagine her using them both at the same time. They'd never be able to expect that. Prier…I think she's much more protected right now."

"Just as we had hoped. Well, if nobody has been hurt and everything went successfully, then Alouette and I should take our leave; someone else might need our help. Croix…take care of yourself. Be happy with Prier and your daughter," Angelique stressed. Then, a brilliant light appeared overhead and the two angels rose up towards the ceiling. As they reached the top, a brilliant flash blinded the group. When their eyesight had cleared up…neither angel remained; they had returned to Heaven.

Prier noticed Culotte had been reaching his arm upwards; perhaps trying to hold Alouette's hand or to get her to stay. At that, she informed him, "Culotte…you look so stupid like that! You know she won't be able to stay. There are just times when we have to learn to let go of the ones that we love."

It didn't take Culotte long to find a comeback. "Oh yeah Prier. I seem to recall a certain Demon Hunter locking herself in her room and crying for hours when Noir prevented her from rescuing the man she loved from Darkness. Darkness caused, I might add, by losing the woman that he was in love with."

"Shut up about that Culotte!" yelled Prier as she jumped and socked him over the head, "And at least I had Pure Love for Croix; you're crush on Alouette was simple Puppy Love. What else can you expect from a twelve year old? You're not expected to understand what love is at that young an age."

'Those two will never change. But I feel much happier to just be back with these people again. Especially Prier; I missed her way too much over the past four years. Wow, I didn't think I'd be this beat after only one fight; must be my nerves getting to me. Just have one smoke before dinner,' thought Croix.

However, just as he was about to light up, a tiny voice shrieked, "Daddy! Smoking is bad for you; that's what all the other adults say." He turned to see his daughter standing there with a stern look on her face; something she no doubt got from her uncle because neither he nor Prier could manage one like it.

Smiling, Croix put the cigarette away. 'Only for her. I guess I'll just have a drink of water to calm myself.' About this time, Prier and Culotte had been forcibly separated by Francoise and Jacques so they too could cool down. Thinking water would be a good idea, Croix took Prier with him to find something to drink. Angie followed close behind her parents; wanting to spend as much time as a family as possible.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Well, I was thinking back to the power of Light and Darkness combined from the anime Slayers TRY (season 3). Since La Pucelle deals a lot with the two energies and harmony between them, I wondered how good they would be working together. So we came up with this little gem of an attack. The design for it was developed only right before we started writing this chapter, and the hard copy of the art sometime afterwards. Said hard copy is a scene of Angelique floating in the void and casting the spell; gold and black colored pencil being used to write the words of each element.

As to how that pillar got there...Angie wished it there. As I said in the last chapter, a person's heart reflected their longings. So when she longed to disable her opponent, her heart created a pillar.

Yeah, I've noticed that I tend to have one or two strong characters in a story. Usually I concentrate on my favorites. Prier will be getting a lot of action in the coming chapters; things are going to get crazy soon.


	11. Divided

**Divided**

The next day, the team was having a picnic in the meadow. It was sort or a reunion party for Prier and Croix. Angie was giggling as she spun her baton around; tossing it up in the air and showing off her repertoire of tricks to her father. Croix was having a great time watching her. Prier had told him about how having a child had helped her keep it together all these years; it sounded like such a wonderful thing.

Suddenly, they felt the earth begin to shake. Prier dove to push her daughter out of the way of a rift that began to open. However, due to all the scrambling around that occurred in the quake, the team was cut in half. The girls were on one side while the guys were on the other. Prier was looking a little mad at this. She and Croix were finally together again and now they were split by a stupid earthquake!

"We'll have to check up ahead," level headed Culotte yelled across the chasm, "I'm sure that the break will end sometime. But we should be careful; the only path available to us is through Labyrinthe Forest." He was right; there was a large split in the earth blocking the path back to town. Once they met up in the forest, they could devise a plan for getting back home together. Prier reached her hand out towards the other side; a signal to tell Croix that she'd go through Hell and Highwater to find him again.

"Take care of your mother Angelique. You know how much trouble she can get into," Croix called to his daughter. Prier was mentally reminding herself to slug him the second she found him; she wasn't always in trouble and most of the time it wasn't her fault. But then she recanted. Croix worried about her a lot. It was a sign of his love; plus the simple fact that he didn't want to screw this relationship up as well.

With that, the guys headed down their side of the forest. Prier looked towards Angelique and Francoise; ready to lead them as well. Not that she felt that good about this incident. The timing of the quake was just too convenient. Something was obviously watching them; some enemy waiting for the group to be split to take advantage of weaknesses. However, little did they know, Prier's only weakness was her love for her friends and family. But that was also her strength; she fought harder to protect them.

S...S

Jacques called out, "C'mon…crashing pain…" The words were followed by a large meteor hitting the small group of Mini Dragons; fire spreading out over them once it vanished. Off to his side he could see Culotte casting a Fire spell; not wanting to waste his power. Croix was simply shooting his gun off.

Suddenly, after all of the enemies were killed, Croix stopped in his tracks. "Damn it! I forgot to give Prier the present I brought her. Right before I planned on doing so, we heard Angelique scream as Loup attacked the church. Then with all the excitement of Angie's new powers, it slipped my mind completely." Culotte wondered what in the world he was giving her to cause such a reaction. Not like Prier was used to getting presents; Croix being her first love and all. But he was usually so calm.

"I'm sure she'll understand," Jacques reassured the young hunter, "After all, even Prier has a reasonable side. You could always butter up the part about being concerned for your child. From the three months I've lived in the church, I've noticed that Prier goes overboard a lot when Angelique is concerned. She makes a good mother in that sense. So if she thinks it was mere parental concern…"

"Sounds right. Prier has said before that Angie was the glue that held her life together while you were on your journey. She knew that there were some sacrifices needed to properly raise her child. I know she didn't wish the lives that she or you dealt with upon her offspring," Culotte added. Croix got the picture easily. Prier had been forced to grow up way too fast because she'd lost her parents; having to become a surrogate mother to her brother. Croix too grew up fast when his parents were murdered protecting him as a child; some villagers though that he was a freak because he'd killed a rampaging Demon at only seven years of age. Of course, because this was the two of them, the plan didn't work.

Croix smiled and replied, "You two are right. She'd understand; after all she put up with me being gone for four years while she was pregnant and raising a child without hunting me to all ends of the earth. After this is all over…then I'll give her my surprise." He fiddled with the tiny box that he kept in his pocket.

Suddenly, a twig snapped behind them. Croix's lightning fast reflexes allowed him to turn right on his heels and shoot within a split second. The Demon, which resembled a deformed bobcat built to the proportions of a man and wearing ripped shorts, died the second the bullet penetrated its skin. However, it had a partner. Analysis showed that they weren't sentient beings; simply a slave underclass of Demon.

Culotte stepped forward; now was the time to show how grown up he'd become. "Take this!" The youth threw a barrage of his usual supplies at the enemy; he had been attempting to devise a new skill for the past four years that powered up his Kitchen Sink ability. However, all that it did was make the Demon really mad. It began chasing the boy around the clearing; not bright enough to watch its back for the other two Demon Hunters. That was how Croix managed to get a similar shot to his first one off.

"Well, I wanted a new skill," Culotte remarked, "I guess it turned out to be a Combination attack in the end. Thanks Croix." Croix smiled at his beloved's little brother; well, not so little anymore, he'd actually thought he was seeing things the first time he'd seen Culotte. If they worked together, they would definitely be able to find the girls. And they better take care of one another; if either he or Culotte were injured in any way Croix could just picture the angry looks and temperamental reaction from Prier later on.

But they didn't even get a step further when a third of those beasts appeared. This time, however, it had seen how its comrades died. So the second Croix tried to shoot, the creature used its arm to guard against the bullet hitting its throat. It then ran straight at the former Dark Prince; eager to test his strength.

The beast was so intent on attacking Croix that it didn't notice Jacques was grabbing his large bazooka. Sang would later curse herself for even thinking about hiring out the incredibly stupid Mal Chat race to hunt and test the one she believed to be her master. Though he didn't kill it, Jacques's shot managed to knock the beast for a loop. While it was on the recovery, he turned to Croix and smiled.

"We'll show them!" the younger man called out. He positioned his bazooka over his shoulder as Croix aimed both his guns. At the exact same time, the men fired; killing the creature on impact. A moment after their victory, and once everyone was determined to be ok, the three men returned to their search for their friends. Jacques felt a terrible worry; a strange sense of fear for Francoise's safety.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Mal Chat…? Evil Cat. Heck, we were out of real good names in French. Next chapter is the girls' POV. We are also reminded an important lesson that most enemies in La Pucelle forget quickly (evil grin)

I do wish I wasn't the only one updating. I've reread my own stories over and over again just to have some more La Pucelle fun.


	12. Don't Piss Prier Off

**Don't Piss Prier Off!**

"This sucks!" muttered Prier, "We've been down this path for an hour and still can't find the other side; the chasm ended but the forest is too thick to cross it without risk of ambush. If I don't find Croix and the others soon…someone is going to get it." Of course, the "someone" happened to be the ton of Mini Dragons that kept trying to make a meal out of the travelers; Prier's anger driving them onwards.

"Don't worry Mommy! We'll be ok as long as we keep going forward!" Angelique chorused. She was bringing up the middle between her mother and Francoise; both worried that one of the monsters would try and go after her. Though Angie was also sensing for anything that might try and ambush them.

Francoise stated, "I think we'll hit an area soon where the roads converge. That should reunite us with the guys. I don't know about you…but I'm going to feel a lot better when it's over. After all, Jacques has a real knack for getting himself into trouble; we all remember his last foray into this forest." She sounded real sure of her snide comment, but deep inside she was worried. Would their friends survive?

However, only a split second later, Angie sensed a dark presence and threw one of her Divine Retributions at the bushes. Then two of the Mal Chats that had ambushed Croix's group jumped out of them; a third body falling to the ground as a result of the light show. Prier gripped her baton in her hands and ran at them. "See you in Hell! Batter Up!" Three smacks later, one of the Mal Chat had been killed.

"Well Prier, I'll just take care of the other one," Francoise remarked, "Just go away!" With that, she held up her fist until wind began to swirl around it. Then, she thrust her open palm at the final monster and released all of the bottled up power; turning it into a small whirlwind that consumed the enemy's body.

"Too easy," Prier stated, "This can't be all of them. Either we were lucky that Angelique surprised them with her attack, or we are in for more trouble. Let's just get to that convergence as soon as possible and find the guys. A group of six is much more defended than a group of three." She silently wished that she'd had the foresight to bring Bear Socks, being a powerful fighting monster, along; however with his tendencies to break open picnic baskets and eat all of the food, they'd left him in Sister Romaine's care.

S...S

_Meanwhile…back at the Church of the Holy Maiden…_

"You dumb animal! Get down from there this instant!" scolded Sister Romaine. Bear Socks had climbed up to the top of the steeple of the church with an expensive cut of Mooboo Steak that she'd brought with her savings. The head of the church was busily climbing up after him; however there were no stairs so she had to pretend she was scaling the edge of a cliff like she'd done in her La Pucelle days.

Bear Socks ignored her protests; the only people he'd ever listened to were Prier, being the one who'd tamed him, and Angelique, who was as demanding as her mother. He continued to sit there and eat the steak as if nothing had happened. Sister Romaine yelled, "Prier! I am never going to watch this animal for you again! Next time you go on a picnic…you'll be the one to deal with him!" With that, she gave it one last push to reach the top. However, at that exact moment, the bear devoured the last piece.

S...S

Prier shrugged. It was probably better for them to have left their pet behind. He'd be kept warm inside the church and they wouldn't have to deal with his pilfering. Besides, they could handle the enemies on their own and since they knew where they were going they had no use for a tracking animal; one of Bear Socks's many other talents. So she took another step forward, and stopped in her tracks.

The Dark Slayer's instincts paid off. At that exact moment, someone threw a large spear from the bushes. If Prier had taken that last step, she'd have been skewered; no doubt the timing that their assailant had been expecting. But instead, the spear simply struck a tree and was wedged inside the wood. Just then, a flash of crimson ran across the path, pulled the spear free, and hid once more.

Francoise ran up to the front. A Flaming Punch later, their assailant was out of the bushes and thrust right in front of them. She was a child of about five with long red hair and blood coloredeyes. On her body was a crimson jump suit with ruby studded steel armor covering her front. The spear in her hands was set on a long wooden pole, seemingly too large for her to wield, and a ruby was imbedded in the blade. "Awwwwwwwwwwwww…you dodged it! That's no fun; you're meanies! Just like Lady Sang told me. Next time, you'd better let me hit you or I'm going to tell my mommy and daddy on you three!"

"And why should I let you hit me!" Prier yelled back, "I'm not about to simply walk into a Demon trap. What do you think I was born yesterday! If you don't want to get hurt, you should run home to that Mommy and Daddy!" She gripped her baton firmly in her hands; anger rushing over her entire body. They were so close to finding their lost allies and now this little child was standing between them and the others. And a lesson that most learn the hard way is to never in any circumstance piss off Sister Prier.

"Because you're so much bigger than me, that's why! I'm Javelot; junior officer in Lady Sang's army. I was ordered to fight the Dark Slayer and take the little girl back with me. It will be so nice to have a friend to play with; there's nobody my own age in our region of the Dark World. Don't worry about her safety in any circumstances; I'm a powerful warrior despite my young age of 20," the kid commented.

With that, she began to twirl her spear just as Prier would her baton. Suddenly, with the reflex of a wild cat, she sprung at the Dark Slayer. However, Prier too was known for her lightning fast reflexes and dodged the hit with ease. Javelot ended up falling on the ground and started to cry again. Angie was wondering why in the world Sang had sent this warrior; a little kid. Was she hoping to get sympathy points with the trio? Didn't she know that sympathy and Prier weren't usually used in the same sentence?

Francoise said, "You really shouldn't play in the big leagues before you're old enough kid. In the case of Demons, neither Prier nor myself hold back. Lets show these creeps!" The Sister held her right hand up to the sky and began concentrating. Fire, Ice, and Wind began to swirl around her fist. Then, she sprung at Javelot and punched her three times. The young Demoness was thrown into the air where she promptly met with Prier's boots; the Dark Slayer having taken a jump in order to dive on her enemy.

In that one instant, the girl fell to the ground. "It's not fair! You guys are picking on me! Mommy and Daddy are going to hear about this and when they do you're going to get it! They're ten times as strong as myself." With that, she opened up a portal to the Dark World and ran in; crying like a baby.

"That was…random," commented Prier, "I think our enemy has lost their marbles."

Angelique found herself agreeing with her mother. Why in the world would they use a mere child to fight against them? But she'd sensed something with in Javelot; something almost human. Could she be just like Angelique's father; a person possessed by the forces of Darkness? Did that mean that their team should be trying to help her and not kill her? One thing was for sure, it was becoming complicated.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

I will revisit Javelot's (French for Javelin because Spear became Lance and that's a guy's name) story later; it just came into my head while I was writing her character. And yes I will also get to Soeur's story piece in a little bit. There are just too many good ideas that keep popping into my head concerning the characters.

Well next weekend I'll be going to an Anime convention, and I'm dressing as Prier who is in Croix's clothes; old joke in my inner circle...long story.


	13. Village of the Maiden

**Village of the Maiden**

"Daddy," shrieked Angelique a few minutes after the battle, "You're ok!" Prier looked to see that they had arrived at the intersection and the guys were coming down the other side of the road. She felt relief wash over her; since they had been attacked by a Demon, she wondered if the rest of the team had the same horrid luck. At least now she knew that Croix and Culotte made it through the woods as well.

"Good to see you're ok Angie. And your mother as well," Croix commented as he picked his young daughter up. She squealed with delight; loving every moment of attention she received from her father. But then, just as suddenly, she shot her head to the edge of the trees. A strange aura had come over the forest. However, it was not one of darkness at all; rather, one of light that called out to her.

She jumped down and rushed towards the trees. There, barely visible, was a path through the woods. Ignoring her mother's yelling, Angelique stepped onto it. She then heard the others begin to follow her; knowing they didn't want her to run off on her own, she suspected them to come along. As they continued, the sensation of holy power grew stronger. However, there was also a foul stench of Demons; though not living ones. Something had been destroyed down the road a bit. Afterwards, a holy aura seemed to cover and protect the area for some reason unknown. Perhaps that battlefield would hold a key towards gaining the upper hand on Sang, Loup, and Javelot. Angie felt her excitement build.

After only about five minutes, the child found the path blocked by a bush. Prier grabbed her baton and began beating the living daylights out of the shrub; knocking leaves off left and right. When it cleared, they saw what appeared to be a destroyed village; the homes made of rotting wood that was scorched by flames. To Culotte, it appeared as if the place had been abandoned for at least a hundred or more years. Old ghosts seemed to linger in their pain. And that's never a good thing for anybody.

Suddenly, shortly after they entered the gates, Croix fell to his knees; clutching his head in pain. In his ears, he heard cries of, "Demon! How dare you return to this place! Isn't our destruction enough for the likes of you? You already killed the Sister and her offspring; what more could you want?" For once, he couldn't try and hide his pain from Prier. Their angry voices shouted louder and louder the more he tried to shut them out.

Prier could sense what was going on; though she couldn't hear the ghosts, she was able to put two and two together. "Hey you! Just lay off of him! The Dark Prince is dead; her hold on this man's body has been destroyed. He's been trying his best for four damn years to come to peace with himself and the things he has done; as well as help those in need to make up for his sins. Why don't you just forgive and forget? Killing or torturing Croix won't bring you all back; revenge isn't the answer to it."

'She's matured a lot,' thought Culotte, 'I mean, Prier is a vengeful person normally. But she wants so badly to care for Croix. I wish I could have a relationship like hers. If only Sister Alouette hadn't been killed…would I have eventually been able to tell her how I really feel and she eventually see me as more than a kid brother?' He sighed; there was no way he could be able to change the past. Right now, he had to live with what had happened and move forward.

"How can we forgive him! He is a murderer who slaughtered innocent people. Someone like that does not deserve a second chance. Let him feel our torment and then the Goddess will deal with his crimes!" shrieked the ghosts; audible to the entire team now. Then, they materialized. Their ages ranged from young children to senior citizens; all armed with pitchforks and scythes. Deadly hunger was in their eyes. As they rushed towards Croix, Prier found herself jumping out in front to protect her beloved; struck by a weapon and knocked down. He panicked and pulled her closer to his body; ready to shield her.

They only paused for a moment; shocked that this woman was that determined to protect a man like the Dark Prince. However, that delay was short and they were ready to strike once more; Prier bleeding from her wounds and Croix holding her close to protect her from further injury. Just then, another voice screamed, "Please stop this! The darkness has been dispelled as I predicted! The girl is right in what she says and in her devotion to protect him. Can't you see it in her eyes? She is in love and it is her lance. That is something that must be commended. In the name of the Goddess stand down!"

The crowd parted to make way for a woman. Culotte and Prier looked up at her and did a double take; well, as much as Prier could do being injured. She looked almost exactly like Angelique; Croix's late fiancée, not his daughter. However, her long brunette hair was worn up in a ponytail. Unlike Angelique who wore a white shirt under her dress, this woman's black dress stretched up to her neckline and had short sleeves. She also was not wearing a headband but had cross shaped hair clips. But her eyes were the same shade of brown and her face was shaped a lot like Prier's. When she smiled, it was the same one that Prier and Angelique wore. Something about her made Prier feel funny; like a past memory.

One child ran up to her. "Lady Soeur! How can we trust him? He destroyed the village and killed your daughters. A monster like him does not deserve to live. The Goddess has wished for his destruction all these years…did she not?" But the woman gave him and the others a stern look.

"Everyone deserves a chance to repent," the woman stated, "It says so right in the Holy Book. And my children did not die; I preserved them with my powers. Now then, Croix, give me the woman who has saved you. I promise to heal her injuries. I might not be up to Angelique's level, but I was always decent." Croix handed Prier's injured body to the woman as she arrived at their position. She chanted a prayer to Poitreene under her breath and cast the Blessing Miracle; completely healing the girl's injuries.

Prier stood up on her own; clutching her head to keep from getting dizzy. Croix caught her; willing to take his chances with this because even though he knew he might get slapped or slugged, Prier's health was more important. Luckily for him, she was too light headed to even think of doing that. Prier simply smiled at Croix; happy that she was able to protect him again.

"Anyway, Soeur," Croix inquired, "What in the world are you doing here? Last I heard you had left Fatima in sorrow after Claude's murder." The others looked at him in confusion. "Soeur was Angelique's older twin sister. Her fiancé was killed by Imperial Soldiers for his unwavering faith in the Goddess; Claude, Angelique, and Soeur were all born with Holy Powers and trained at a nearby church to control them. In her sorrow and pain, she fled to seek a new life for herself. Soeur was always the tough one."

"This was where I settled after crossing the sea. I lived here for five and a half to six years before Calamity attacked the village. Because of my final stand, I was nicknamed 'Maiden of Light' by the people at my church; they didn't know I had twin girls. The name then just stuck to everyone else who battled the Dark Prince. But let's get comfortable before we tell the full story. My house, well what's left of it anyway, is down the road," she told them as she pointed. They all then began heading towards it.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Soeur's past will get explained in the next chapter; how she arrived here, about her twins, and what happened during the invasion. It's a vital point to the resolution of this story; though it doesn't seem to effect many things right away. And some major plot twists that started out as a darn joke; we were trying to figure out what to do about Soeur's backstory after leaving Fatima and one of our sillier ideas suddenly got thrown onto the forefront.

You know...I just realized that I have way too much fanservice with the newest fic I'm working on; Croix is in nothing but his shorts for about two and a half chapters. Oh well, not like I care; I enjoy imagining Croix in nothing but shorts.


	14. Angelique and Dominique

**Angelique and Dominique**

They walked to the edge of the village and found a home that had partially collapsed; Soeur explained that Calamity herself blasted the home because she didn't wish Croix to somehow recognize her and thus try to regain himself. But after passing the destroyed hall and living room, they found one bedroom intact. It had all the appearances of a little girl's room with its bright pink walls and yellow trim. There were two beds, both made to fit a five year old, one with a purple comfiture and the other with a red one. Strewn about were many stuffed animals; a few bears with a puppy or two and three floppy bunnies.

"It's still a mess," Soeur confessed, "Angelique never liked cleaning up; she was quite a stubborn girl. And Dominique did whatever her big sister did; they were close. As a spirit I cannot interact with the physical world. Thus, I am unable to clean up the mess those two left behind here."

Prier looked around the room. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her head. Though she had never exhibited these sorts of talents before, a vision began to form. _In it, she saw a pair of little girls. The one was wearing a purple dress while her sister had on a red dress. Both of them resembled Prier greatly; well, a four or five year old Prier. The one in the red dress was crying into her sister's arms. They spoke to each other, but Prier was unable to hear their words. She could, however, sense pain_

"Are you ok Prier? You look tired," commented Francoise. She shook her head and denied it; claiming that it was probably fatigue brought on by the blood loss. However, she felt as if she'd seen this room before. And Soeur…she looked familiar as well. What was going on? Was there a secret to her?

After the group had become comfortable, Soeur stated, "I guess I should tell you all my story. As I told you earlier, I fled to the mainland after Claude's murder. Right away, I sought out a church to lend my services to. Because I was a decent healer and powerful fighter, I was then sent to protect this village. A few months later, I found out I was pregnant. But then, I had a vision. In it, I saw my sister hanging from a pole; then she was killed in the same manner that my beloved died. Just then, I saw a cage of darkness hanging over Croix as he stood in pain. A black aura rose from his body and incinerated the area. I felt afraid; what was happening there? Being all the way here, I couldn't help"

Culotte saw the ghostly woman sweating. She was obviously upset over what had occurred in Fatima. But he also could tell that she didn't blame Croix one bit; instead, blamed the darkness that had taken advantage of his weakened and fragile heart. He watched her clear her head a little before continuing. "Anyway, I knew there was nothing that I could do. So I spent all of my time and energy into the twin daughters in my womb. When they were born, I could tell that they were both special. But unlike normal twins, their powers were different. Angelique, the older, had powers of Light. Dominique, the younger, had powers of Darkness. However, that did not matter to me; they were both still my precious children. And for five years…we were happy. I raised them to be kind little girls who would help others."

"Then Calamity came," Prier added, "It was three in the morning on their fifth birthday. The twins were too excited to sleep so they'd been playing in their room to a light Angelique had created with her powers. Suddenly, they smelt smoke and rushed to wake you. But once you'd looked out and seen what was going on, you herded the girls into their bedroom. 'Do not worry; it will be all over in the morning. I will let nothing happen to you,' you said as your hands began to glow. Then, there was a flash of light and both children succumbed to blessed unconsciousness; awakening in what they thought was the morning but in reality it was many years after the fact. And doing the math would make my head hurt."

"Well put! I sensed it from the moment you walked into this village. After all these years, one of my daughters has returned. Angelique, where did your sister get to? Was she not with you as you left? Judging from the look on your face, you don't remember; you believe that all of your information is from a vision. However, you are definitely my elder daughter. You were also the reason for the raid. You see, I had a dream that night. In it, you were unlocking the cage of darkness that surrounded Croix; first I saw you as an adult and then it shifted to you as a child. I believe that Calamity sensed this as well and aimed to kill you. I sealed her in the Dark World and then used what little I had left to knock out the Dark Prince for a couple of years; knowing I could never kill Croix. Afterwards, the sole survivor of our village buried me and told the church. They honored me in ways that I didn't think I deserved," Soeur finished.

Culotte exclaimed, "How can Prier be your daughter! She is my older sister. We grew up together on Mt. Tarte, went to Pot au Feu when our parents died, and later joined the Church of the Holy Maiden and trained for La Pucelle. Why is it then that you say she's your child?" He looked confused; as did Francoise and Jacques. Croix, who had a better grasp of the situation, began reaching for his cigarettes in a painicked state at what Soeur would say about this. However, Angie didn't seem phased; looking at thie situation with child's eyes.

However, it was not Soeur who spoke next, but Prier. "I find…I can remember vaguely. Culotte's family came through this town when we woke up. They took me in when they saw I was all alone. But when I went back to look for Dominique and bring her along…she was missing; gone from the village."

"That is quite strange," Soeur remarked, "Dommie never did anything without her big sister; she was quite the introvert. Something tells me that you all have your work cut out for you now. I sense a horde of Demons wishing for your destruction; vengeful for the loss of their Dark Prince. Also, I can feel a tiny aura of power in a different type of danger; a child's aura fighting to prevent Demonic enslavement."

"Me! That's me! I've got a question though. So my name is Angelique, my mommy's real name is Angelique, and her aunt's name is Angelique and she's my namesake. Is that what the story is getting at?" Angie inquired. Prier nodded and Croix reached for the emergency bottle of aspirin; this was giving him one killer headache that made a hangover seem like nothing. Everything was way too complicated.

Soeur stated, "So you two have already brought a child into this world. I can sense her powers; they are stronger than most due to their duel nature. Protect her; she will be a blessing to the both of you in the future. Well, it won't do you any good to stay around here. Return to your church and whatever lives you were living. I regret not being able to do more for you as a mother. However, if you manage to find Dominique somehow, tell her all about this and bring her here. I wish to see her one last time before I can be released into Heaven; my concern for my daughters has left me bound in the mortal world."

Prier nodded. Then, she allowed her mother one final embrace with her ghostly arms. But she also had to move forward; Angie's life was still at stake. However, one day, she would return with news of her sister. Though Prier wasn't trained as a psychic and visionist, she knew it would soon happen.

S...S

Javelot woke up suddenly in the middle of the night. 'That dream again. The fire, the blood, the death. And I wasn't taking part in it either. Why was I cowering in the corner; a fearless Demon such as myself would never hide from battle? Is there something wrong that Mommy and Daddy won't tell me?'

* * *

**Rutee's Otaku Board**

I'm filling in for Teefa; who is currently trying to think of the last few characters for the sequel. Well, this idea wasn't the original. The story had three incarnations on how to deal with the whole Prier and Angelique look alike thing. First, she was going to be descended of Soeur's daughter; no story to the daughter, just that Prier was a descendant. Second, the idea to make Prier Soeur's daughter came up as an inside joke that turned into a serious plan for Teefa; she's always coming up with corny ideas that get thrown out. The third idea to make a twin kind of came as a last minute release and only because of Teefa's serious obsession with twins; read her Wild ARMs 3 stories for an idea…the heroine has a long lost twin brother and her two children are twins.

And yes we thought about how badly Croix's head would hurt right from the start…if I were him, I'd go crazy. We will again revisit the reason why Prier doesn't use any strong holy powers in La Pucelle; she remembers things in the next chapter. Plus...high fluff factor.

Considering how Prier is Miss tough girl, we figured she wouldn't really be throwing her feelings for Croix out in public besides mentioning it; since everyone knows she didn't have to keep a secret. Teefa thinks, and I agree, that they would have kissed had the others not shown up in the ending scenes. If you look at the rest of the chapters as they come out, you'll see the only times they get real fired up, other than in battle when one tries to protect the other, is when they either are alone or think they're alone; as in someone is spying or enters later.


	15. Stormy Weather

**Stormy Weather**

The team left the ghost village and walked back down the path. By the time they returned to the picnic area, they found a welcome sight. Sister Romaine had smartly begun constructing simple bridges over the chasms. Also, they would later find out, she was preparing to get some stronger stone bridges built. That way, travelers would no longer be inconvenienced. But in the meantime, rope and wood worked miracles. Since he was carrying his daughter on his shoulders, Croix felt relieved; it wouldn't be a restless night for her after all. They returned right to the church and he and Prier put Angelique to sleep.

"I just can't believe it," Prier remarked once they were alone, "I mean, finding out all of this information about my mother, sister, and past seems so surreal. I always thought I knew who I was. In the end, the reason I forgot must have been because I refused to cry anymore for the family I'd lost. Sorry that you got such a headache; I would too if I found out that I was dating my former lover's niece."

"Not an issue at all Prier. Before I thought I was dating someone over two hundred years my junior; if you count the time I was the Dark Prince as my lifespan despite I was unconscious. Now, you're only a generation back; 'bout nineteen years. And since technically I didn't age while consumed by the Darkness within my heart and you didn't age while in the barrier, we're only four years apart. So let's ignore all of the information we found out and continue as if nothing ever happened here," Croix replied.

Prier blushed and whispered, "Thank you Croix." She hated feeling so vulnerable. But when she and he were alone, that was just what came over her. It was a longing to be held close in his arms; to feel love from a man. Though a simple fact of human nature, it scared Prier. She didn't want to be seen as anything but the strong woman she made herself out to be. However, all of her strength came from the issues of the past. From her youngest days, the girl had lived with trials and tribulations to fight with.

Since she was born with Holy powers and her sister with Dark ones, Prier had been forced to become the center spotlight. In those days, Dark powers were frowned upon and some extremists would kill them before they could become evil. Now, with a better understanding, those with Dark powers could head to any church of Poitreene for aid in controlling or guarding against losing control. But Soeur had feared for Dominique's life every day; being one of Holy powers herself, it was hard to conceive that her child might be the opposite. However, if everyone paid attention to Angelique's Holy abilities, nobody would notice. Then came the destruction of the town—Prier vowed that if she ever saw Calamity she would have double the reason to wring her neck now…once for Croix and once for her mother—and her sister going missing. After that was the death of her foster parents and then all of the crap that went on four years ago. In only twenty years, Prier had seen more death and destruction than most other people.

A second later, a tap on the shoulder by Croix drove her back to reality. "Now that we're alone at last…there's something I want to give you. Close your eyes and hold out your left hand." She did just that. After a few tense seconds of waiting, Croix's hand encircled hers and slipped something on the fourth finger. Opening her eyes, she could see it was a beautiful ring; the band topped with a golden cross with a diamond in the center that was shaped like praying hands. "Prier…will you marry me?"

"Croix!" she exclaimed, "Of course I will! I've been waiting four years for this!" Against her usual instincts, Prier found herself jumping into Croix's arms; he held her close to his body with a smile on his face. Then, they kissed one another passionately; every trouble melting away in that one moment in time. Of course, a moment later, Angelique and Culotte came out of their rooms and began staring.

"Your turn to explain! I was the one who had to tell everyone I was pregnant with Angie," Prier demanded. Croix, not wanting to ruin this perfect evening by getting her ticked off, explained how he'd proposed. Culotte muttered something to the effect of, "You don't have to be so loud about it though."

Angie, looking quite confused, inquired, "Mommy…what does Daddy mean by 'proposed?'"

S...S

In a foreboding castle in the Dark World, an angry looking woman burst into the chambers of Lady Sang. She had long sky blue hair that fell past her knees and red eyes. Her ears were pointed and her nails like claws. The woman had on a blue bodysuit with sapphire studded armor; similar to a light blue motif of Javelot's clothing. On her back she had strapped a spear with a long pole and a sapphire imbedded in the blade. "Lady Sang! Javelot has been cooped up in her room since she returned! Why did you send my daughter to the battlefield like that? Tonnerre and I know she is way too young for it."

"It is your fault for keeping her child like Ciel," commented Sang, "She is twenty years of age by human standards; that's plenty of time for her to have grown into an adult Demoness. But you only want to play 'Mother' to the warrior. Her potential is great; is that not why you enlisted her in the first place? You know she is not your daughter by blood yet won't tell her. Shielding her does no good in any case."

"She may not be our blood child, but Javelot means the world to Tonnerre and I. Nobody is going to take her away from us; not her real family and not you! Next time, send one of us. We will gladly go and bring back Prier Dark Slayer's mutilated corpse for whatever reason you wish it. But I am warning you…if my daughter gets hurt out there, you will not want me as your enemy Lady Sang," she yelled.

Ciel then turned on her heels and left the receiving hall; slamming the door in a huff. Sang watched her go and smiled. She then thought, 'You are a fool Ciel. I only tolerated your little plan because of that girl's strength. If not for that, she could have died of starvation. Besides, you do not know the things I do about the situation. I wonder…what will happen when the girls fight for real?'

S...S

Ciel sighed as she returned to her chambers. Looking in the room, she saw her daughter had finally cried herself to sleep; one weakness they could never seem to beat out of her. 'I wish it weren't like this. If only the Dark Slayer hadn't defeated the Dark Prince. Sang wouldn't be all up in a tizzy if her little crush was still on our side. She can't understand that he was only a human possessed; one much like my little Javelot. His loyalty to our cause could only be maintained as long as we were there to keep him strong. I will not detach Javelot from her dependence on me and Tonnerre; that is the time when she will recover her true self. She is my daughter now! If I die to do so I will assure her loyalty to me!'

"Still worried Ciel?" inquired a male voice, "Do not think on it. I will keep watch every time our lady does a foolish thing. If ever something goes wrong…her head will roll. Then you and I can take this castle for our own; it would make a fine place to raise a daughter." Turning, she saw a man in clothing like hers; however his was a yellow and topaz motif. His hair was blond and spiked up and his eyes were red. Like Ciel, his ears were pointed. Between the two of them, he appeared to be the calmer Demon.

"I'm sorry Tonnerre. I can't bear to think about what would happen if she found out," Ciel said.

Tonnerre held her close and whispered, "Then we will make doubly sure that she won't…"

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

We need the drama to bring in suspense. Now that Angelique's suspicions about Javelot have been confirmed, what will happen? Will Prier and Croix ever get time alone? And come to think about it, with all that's been going on, how will they ever find time to get married? Tonnerre means Lightning and Ciel means sky. It will show when they battle...eventually. They don't fight the gang until they have a reason to do so.

And guess what I found out some time after posting the last chapter? My big plot twist actually is similar to something that happened to Homard's parents. His dad, Cello,and great-grandmother,Cherie,were friends/childhood sweethearts and were seperated during a time traveling incident (which I don't know the details of why or how). She was adopted by the puppet maker Mustaki, married his son Marious/Marius, had Cornet who grew up to marry Ferdinand and have Kururu (Homard's mom). Then he came out of the time shift and met her. So I'm not the only one with strange connections and time problems running through my brain!

I do also have a significant other planned for Culotte; the idea of who came to me when I was bantering with Sky.


	16. Promise

**Promise**

"Hey sis," a small red-headed girl wearing a red dress whispered, "Where'd Mommy go? She said everything would be ok in the morning. But how can everything be ok if she's not here with us?" The child was no more than five and sitting in a pink and yellow room on a bed with a purple comfiture. A girl that looked exactly like her was holding her close for comfort. The only difference between the two was that the second girl wore a purple dress instead of red. It was clear that they were both related.

"Dominique…I really don't know. But I know that we can go out and look for her! You take the south side of the village while I take the north side. We meet back here in a half hour to discuss what we saw or didn't see. If one of us finds Mommy first, then go and look for the other," the second girl stated.

Dominique whispered, "I wish I could be as strong and brave as you Angelique. But I'm always scared; scared that somebody is going to hurt me because of my powers or that we'll have to fight one another someday. I don't want to be killed by my only sister; nor could I find it in my heart to kill you."

Angelique smiled at her. "Promise me then Dommie. No matter what happens, we will always be the best of friends. If we're both sisters and best friends, then there's nothing wrong. We can make it if we just keep our heads high as Mommy would have done. Don't be afraid; it'll all get better very soon."

S...S

'It's the same dream for three nights in a row,' thought Javelot, 'Ever since I fought the Dark Slayer. She has some strange power that must effect Demons; why else would the Dark Prince suddenly feel regret for his actions and turn to humanity? I must resist her control at any cost; else I may die.'

From the other room, Ciel watched her daughter. She felt fear rise up in her heart as she thought of Prier Dark Slayer. If the Dark Prince could be reverted to his true self with her power, there was reason to fear for Javelot. However, something else seemed to be wrong with the girl. Prier was an interesting specimen for a human. Could she be the Holy Child that Calamity supposedly killed all those years ago?

S...S

"We promised to meet back at the house in a half hour. Then, I saw a grave that the last survivor had erected to Mother. Knowing that she was gone, I ran to find my sister and prepare our exodus. But then, I saw a couple traveling through with their baby son. Due to harsh conditions, they were moving nearer to the city so he would be better nourished. The mother was kind enough to offer her new home to me and my sister. However, I never found her and she never checked back at the house when we planned. I don't know where to start, but something tells me that I will find Dominique," Prier finished.

Francoise whispered, "It must hurt to think about losing a sibling. I can't relate, being an only child and all, but I do think back to the loss of my friends during the war with Darkness. I find it hard to forgive Croix at times despite the fact that he wasn't the one who killed them. Yet you, one who lost her mother and sister because of the Dark Prince, not only can forgive him but you are willing to become his wife."

Prier looked to her; she didn't want to talk about this subject. However, she was surprised to find Culotte was coming to her defense; he still sometimes fought resentment over Alouette's death. "When you are in love, and I mean real love not the crushes you are always finding, there are things you suddenly find yourself able to do. I got stronger because I wanted to protect Sister Alouette. Maybe I was only twelve and maybe Prier saw my crush on her immature. However, I know she was my first love and I understood what was going on. Besides, this is how I have kept myself from hating Croix; I don't like feeling like that towards someone. I remember that he and the Dark Prince were just two separate entities within the same body and once he felt the strength to fight back he and Prier destroyed her."

"Calamity fired the shots at our house in any case; remember she didn't want Croix to fight to protect his remaining friend. Besides all that, my mother died like the other Maidens of Light; she used the last of her power to weaken the Dark Prince and buy time for someone to save him," Prier added.

Jacques threw in, "And after all, the real issue at hand is searching for Prier's sister. Was there any other place that you might find her? Any place you two had spoken of visiting or running to in the event that your mother was gone? Well, names might not be important due to the time that passed."

Prier put her right pointer finger on her cheek. "Well, we weren't good at geography anyway and couldn't read maps; neither of us knew the name of our hometown. But now that I think about it, I said I would take Dommie and run to a place where nobody would ever hurt her; she was always afraid of someone killing her for her Dark powers. There was this little lake near our village where Mom used to take us fishing. I was a natural at it. So I decided that we would live off the land near that lake. You know, that's where we might find a clue! Jacques…you're a genius!" She grabbed Croix's hand and pulled him out the door. Something was calling to her, telling her that she would find her answers.

Looking behind, Prier could see her friends following. She was happy to know how loyal the group could be. They would do anything to help one another. And knowing Culotte still thought of her as his big sister, despite the fact that she wasn't related to him by blood, gave her extreme happiness. No matter what she found out about Dominique's fate, she would always have this family she had made.

S...S

"Javelot," Sang ordered, "Prier Dark Slayer is heading for a certain lake. I want you to intercept her and her band of misfits. Kill everyone except the child and the rust haired man. Those two are to be brought before me. Soon, we will give rise to a Demonic nation and eliminate all the worthless humans."

"As you wish, my master," Javelot replied. She then teleported away from the Dark World.

S...S

Tonnerre stated, "And that is what I heard. For some odd reason, Prier Dark Slayer is going to go fishing at a lake near that burnt out…wait a minute! The lake is near the village we stopped at fifteen years ago! Could that witch actually be the little brat? If that's the case, then she's dangerous for our daughter to be around. Perhaps it's her connective love that can break the spells on Dark Humans."

Ciel felt her anger burn; did Lady Sang know this all along? "Curse her! She obviously plans to play with Prier using Javelot. We'll deal with her later. Right now, however, we are to stop our baby from getting too close. I will not lose my child; not like before." She felt anger rising up within her; there would be a time for revenge shortly. It doesn't matter whether you are human or Demon; a mother is a mother.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Everything comes to a head with Javelot in the next chapter. Will they be able to show her that she is really a human? Will everyone involved get a major headache; Croix, break out the aspirin again. And am I just as my annoying partner says and am being too obvious? Don't mind me; I'm slightly insane.

No, I didn't abandon this story. I was waiting and waiting for a review on my little plot twist that never came and finally just gave up the ghost and added a new chapter. Plus, I've been taking a Creative Writing class this semester that has taken up most of my time. But at least the teacher is letting me write a fanfic collection for the course so expect me to post some of the series sometime in late December or early January; it's a set of short stories about Prier and Croix's interractions and the major headaches they go through because they can't understand their feelings.


	17. Once a Sister, Always a Sister

**Once a Sister, Always a Sister**

Because of the new bridges and a little knowledge about shortcuts, it was only half a day before they arrived at the lake. Due to the darkness approaching, the team made camp. Prier tried to fish but found that she barely remembered how. But Croix and Jacques, being mercenaries and all, knew a lot about living off the land. So they helped to teach the others the tricks of the trade. Then a Fire spell shot by Angie gave them a place to cook the food; and also roast marshmallows after all was said and done.

Jacques surprised everyone by pulling out a guitar after supper. He casually mentioned knowing how to play before, however nobody had heard him do so. Now, he began to strum an old camping tune about a lovely warrior maiden named Epee who had successfully fought of a Dragon to save her kingdom from falling under the curse of an enchanter. She later on became the lover of a handsome prince.

Everyone was amazed at how well he could sing. With the ballad finished, Jacques suggested the team have a sing-a-long; he would play and everyone could take turns belting out whatever song their heart desired. Prier, loving to sing, almost grabbed the guitar out of his hands so she could get started. But the mercenary managed to catch her drift and let her be the first to sing; it was either that or get killed.

Their celebration went on well into the night. Finally, as the hour of twelve approached, everyone decided to turn in. All that was except Angelique; she'd fallen asleep sometime around eight thirty. A small magical pebble thrown in the middle of the fire caused a barrier to encircle the camp; it was an old technique used by travelers. The item in question was cheap and could be brought at a church; they would use the money earned from these pebbles to support charitable activities and outreach programs.

S...S

Prier woke with a start early in the morning. At first, she was cursing the simple fact that she had woken up before eight. However, she looked over to see her daughter thrusting her aura into the barrier. Something or someone was trying to break through! Immediately, she went to work waking the others.

"We're under attack!" screamed Prier as she beat on a cooking pot with her baton, "Get up so we can drop the barrier; Angelique has been holding it up with her energy!" That got them moving. Once satisfied that the entire team was standing behind her, the child stopped supporting their guard sphere.

"Commendable humans! It was quite resourceful of you to set up a barrier over your camp. But no power can keep a Demon of my strength out. I'm going to pay you back for what you did in that maze of a forest!" shrieked a familiar voice. Out of the shadows stepped Javelot; looking much angrier and readier for a fight than she did last time. Prier sighed; it was just going to be a repeat performance so why bother? But something inside of her felt strange; like a foreign emotion building up inside her body.

Croix inquired, "Is this the kid you guys had to fight in Labyrinthe Forest?" Prier nodded at his query. "Well, it's nothing I can't handle. You beat her down with just a group of three so why should a group of six be any weaker? Besides…I don't think she's that strong; she has little control over her own powers. The only thing she can do is to keep them in check; she probably isn't able to use energy."

"Stop teasing me!" whined Javelot, "I'll tell my mommy on you! Besides, I don't need magic to fight when I've got my spear!" With that, she unsheathed the weapon and slung it right into the camp. However, the team dodged quickly. They then watched as she threw yet another fit about how nobody played fair with her. The Demon child rushed to grab her spear; however she was stopped by Angie.

"No more fighting! I can tell that you're a human being underneath all of your Dark energy. Don't you know that the Demons are only using you? They take advantage of those that are unable to pen the darkness within them; just as they did my daddy. Please…come back to humanity," begged the child.

Javelot told her, "You're wrong! I was born to Mommy and Daddy in the Dark World. I am not a foolish human! Nor is your daddy; he's a Demon like us but his love for that woman blinded him. Lady Sang wants you two to come back to her palace; she will follow the Dark Prince into battle against the human race with her army. But if you need a little physical persuasion, I am permitted to use force."

She rushed at Angelique. However, the child was ready. "Die Fiend!" Then, Angie struck out with her baton; knocking Javelot to the ground. A second later, Croix yelled, "Leave my kid alone!" He too rushed in to attack. A few gunshots later, Javelot appeared to have no strength in her to resist them.

"No choice," she muttered, "You are going to regret challenging me to a fight. Mommy said not to use this technique unless I really have to. But if there is any time where I must fight for my life, then now it is! Prepare yourself; this is my most special attack, the one I was saving. Wash over with Darkness!"

Out from Javelot's body came an aura of pure Darkness. It began spreading over the lakeside area; making all it touched seem to disappear in a void. Being on the edge of it, Francoise took a little damage until Jacques pulled her back. The sensation of being held in his arms made her feel tickled.

'That power! It's like Darkness is affecting not only our bodies but our minds. This feels worse than ten Dark Portals,' thought Culotte. He felt rooted to the ground in fear; almost as if there was a paralysis effect added to this skill. Almost certain death seemed to radiate from the Demon's body.

Prier suddenly exclaimed, "I know how to counter this! Somehow, a memory of my childhood resurfaced. Though it doesn't tell me what this spell is, or where I've seen or heard about it before, it does say that I can fight it. Wash over with Light!" Then, Prier's body began to glow with Holy power.

The two auras battled it out for a long time. Croix was holding Angie back so she didn't run to her mother, Francoise was still blushing in Jacques's arms, and Culotte simply stared at his sister. Was this one of the abilities that Soeur had spoken to them about? Why was it so similar to the one Javelot had?

Finally, Prier's Light struck right through the Darkness. Javelot screamed as she was thrown towards the ground. However, just then something strange began to happen. Unlike when a normal Demon was hit with such powerful Holy energy, she did not die or appear wounded. Instead, light began streaming out of her body. Instantly, it began to grow and age until she appeared to be a woman of about twenty. Her hair lengthened, her ears were no longer pointed, and she no longer had the aura of a girl possessed by Darkness; only a girl with Dark powers. As she settled back on the ground, the light died.

The woman sat up. She now had long hair the same shade as Prier's with deep brown eyes. She was also quite naked. Blushing, Culotte turned around and grabbed a blanket for her to use. Covering up her body allowed the woman to feel more at ease with having three men in her presence.

"That was a nightmare," she stated, "At last, I'm not a prisoner of those Demons any longer. Big Sister…where did you get to? It's been so many years so I'm sure you've left the area already. Did Mommy bring you with her, or did you go alone? How can I find anyone again after what has happened?"

"Dominique…don't worry. Your big sister is here now," Prier stated; her voice surprisingly quiet.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

If anyone saw that coming…sorry for being too obvious. If anyone didn't…I'm happy I wasn't too obvious. Well, we return to the village for more stories and setups next chapter. Plus deal with a PO'ed Ciel and Tonnerre shortly down the road. And Prier did have to keep calm at the end; the few memories she regained of her childhood told her that Dominique was quite skittish and she couldn't surprise her.


	18. Bond of Blood

**Bond of Blood**

"Angelique!" shrieked the girl, "I'm so happy to see you again!" She rushed to her sister; making sure to keep the blanket tied around her since there were men around. For the first time in fifteen years, the twins were able to embrace one another. And a rare occurrence was seen; Prier was actually crying.

"Don't worry. I'll watch over you just like I did when we were kids. Just like when Mother was still alive. But one thing…please call me Prier. To make a long story short, my adoptive parents gave me that name and it's what I'm used to. That and the fact that my daughter's name is Angelique and I don't need either her, me, or my fiancé to come down with splitting headaches every day," Prier informed her.

Dominique replied, "Whatever you say sis! I don't wish to use the name those Demons gave me; you can use my true one. So then, why did you come out to this lake anyway? All the Demons' leader told me was that you were here and I was to create an ambush. I know you don't live around here."

Prier smiled. "I was looking for you. Something told me that if I came to the lake I would at least find a clue to where my sister had gotten to. Mother's spirit still resides in our lost home; she wants to see the two of us again. I…admit that I didn't remember anything about my past until recently; I though the family that adopted me was my birth parents. But all I was doing was running from my painful memories."

"Like I said years earlier, Amnesia must be going around or something. Everyone with some connection to the story seems to have either died or lost their memories prior to the final battle. Man, and I though I was only joking about that," Croix added. Prier rolled her eyes; he had a strange sense of humor at times. However, despite the oddities, she found that he was the one she couldn't live without.

Dominique smiled and said, "You seem to have found a really nice man An…I mean Prier. I'm happy for you. Well, if Mother is waiting for us, I suggest we head out to see her. Hopefully…I can find some decent clothing left over in town; something not destroyed in the fire. Unless anyone has an extra set." She was immediately tossed a pants set that Prier kept in case of a chilly night; being twins they were the exact same size. Once she'd changed in the privacy of a tent, they took down camp and left.

S...S

When they arrived at the village, Prier once more felt the sorrowful spirits rising up. However, this time they weren't planning to torture Croix; Soeur's threats were fresh in their minds. The team headed back to the little house where Prier had spent the first five physical years of her life. On the way, Dominique was told the entire story of what their mother had done to protect them. She also learned of Soeur's past and the destiny that Prier was given.

Dominique was amazed. "Even with your Holy powers sealed away, you still managed to defeat a Demon Lord of his caliber. Not only that, but you rescued your beloved from the clutches of his own Darkness…I wish I was that strong. If I had been, those Demons never would have taken me. They had appeared as a pair of travelers and offered to adopt me. I said I needed to find my sister and make sure I really was an orphan before leaving. However, they immobilized me with Darkness and took me to the Dark World against my will. Feeding me Dark Energy began to transform my body into that of a Demon."

"Not fully," Prier told her, "There's always a different aura between one possessed by Darkness and a real Demon or even a half Demon. If one tried to sense for it, they could tell you weren't a real Demon. That was why my Angie didn't use her full force when she attacked; not wanting to kill a human."

At that moment, they arrived at the house. Just like before, the group headed for the twins' bedroom. Soeur waited inside; looking out the window in a dream world. But when she sensed the arrival of her two daughters, relief washed over her body. Neither of them had been hurt and now they were together again. Perhaps now would be a good time to share with them the rest of her prophecy.

"Thank the Goddess! You two are ok. Dommie, I was so worried about you when I heard from your sister about your disappearance," she stated. Croix backed out of the room with the others; thinking it would be nice for the three to be alone together. However, Soeur called him back; telling him that she must give an important message to the whole team. Time was of the essence; they were in real trouble.

Soeur continued, "As I said last time, Angelique's, no Prier's, destiny was to meet Croix; thus saving him from the Darkness. Truth be told, I always thought she'd use her Holy powers; not her emotions. But perhaps this is even better for them; now Croix can be happy instead of wallowing in despair over the losses of his past. However, it was not written completely in the stars. I might have predicted it; however the truth is that nothing is an act of Fate. Things such as upbringing and reluctance might have ruined things; the vision only took into account the Croix I once knew returning and Prier being the same girl despite someone else raising her. But anyway…she followed her heart in the end and it has brought us to this point. Demons are after their child because of her powers, Croix since they believe him to be a Demon living like a human, and Prier to kill her for vengeance. The only way to win is to utilize both Light and Darkness. That is where my beloved daughters come in…their powers."

Prier sensed where this was going. She knew that she and her sister had great strength. If they didn't do something…that only left little Angie. "We need to do something together to fight against the Demons…right? Does it involve a duel attack of some sorts? Or is this a little more technical in nature?"

"Both," Soeur replied, "You do need to combine your powers into an attack; such duel nature techniques yield great power. However, you also need to show the potential that arises from Light and Dark natures working as one. Each side thinks that the other is their enemy, but if the two sides were to work together…well you could see the relationship potential. That was why you were born with different powers despite being twins. And also why little Angelique was born to harness the two in one body."

"I get it. If there was a greater understanding of the balance between the two, then there would be less tragedies like Fatima," Croix added. He thought back to those days and sighed. What the analysis conducted by Father Salade had shown was that the Fatiman Dynasty was probably suffering from imbalance. However, their imbalance was not Darkness but Light. Research he'd conducted showed that too much Light could cause one to believe that they were chosen to rid the world of all that was evil. Of course, their personal perception of "evil" was what caused tragedies. And when one side became imbalanced, the other tried to compensate; as Prier had said, if it hadn't been Croix it would have eventually been somebody else who became the Dark Prince. But if people understood the truth…

Soeur said, "You're right Croix. Balance is what keeps the world at peace. Both humans and Demons need to see that both sides can coexist in peace. Some Demons are driven by what humans did to them and their kin, while some humans are driven by what Demons did to them and their kin. You all are the only hope for an understanding to be reached. Without it, times of great despair will return again."

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

This is getting back to "Slayers" again; the great power that exists when Light and Darkness combine. But I took it one step further and added in peace and understanding; some Slayers fans try to write about this subject but I never could put it into that context. Of course, I never elaborate on it; Soeur loves making speaches and feeling important (a remnant of her childhood, which is shown in a fic I wrote about Croix's past, back then she was a bossy know it all who took charge for their group, but the lose of her beloved changed her to becoming more solemn and respectful).

Forgive my lack of updates; I was lazy over the holiday break and even now am not fully wanting to do things.


	19. Motherhood

**Motherhood**

With her final plea, Soeur's body began to glow. Angelic wings sprouted from her back as she started to rise off the ground. Suddenly, a heavenly light shown down on the first Maiden of Light. Soeur gave her twin daughters one last smile before a brilliant flash covered the room. When it cleared, she was gone. At long last, after nearly 200 years of waiting and despair, she was free to leave this world.

"Thank you…" her voice rang out, "Now I and the other villagers can rest in peace. Dominique, remember that you are loved by me and your sister; we do not despise your Dark nature. Prier, never be afraid to fight for what you believe in; it is what save the world after all. Croix…watch over my daughter for me. Never allow her to lose her kindness and love. And love her with all of your heart and soul."

"Goodbye…Mommy…" whispered Prier with childlike sorrow.

S...S

Ciel was sitting on Javelot's bed; clutching the girl's blanket. Sang had obviously seen her attempt to chase after her child and locked both her and Tonnerre in the Dark World. The Elementalist could only watch as Prier and Javelot fought; and the sisters were reunited after all this time. Despair began to wash over her; she'd just lost her child once again. How could she have let this happen?

The woman thought, 'I knew it would hurt, but just not how much. It shouldn't be as bad the second time around; especially since I'm a Demon now. Curse Prier Dark Slayer! She took away my only joy! And curse all humans! They took away my happiness when I lived in the land of Fatima!'

Ciel thought back over 225 years. In the southern deserts of Fatima there lived the Elementals; humans with a strong tie to one of the six powers: Fire, Ice, Wind, Thunder, Health, or Aid. They also wielded spears for melee combat. In those days, Ciel and Tonnerre were a young couple who had just been blessed with their firstborn daughter; Javelot. However, the Fatiman Dynasty saw them as witches, so one night their soldiers stormed the village. Flames had burned their home to the ground and those monsters killed everyone they found; from the oldest crone to even little Javelot who was a week old.

'Lady Sang rescued us then. Tonnerre and I were dying and she offered us a chance to become Demons and extract revenge on all who had hurt us. Then Lady Calamity gave us immortality. But she was sealed when we brought our new daughter home so Javelot's human body would continue to grow even as she stayed a Demon child. I could do nothing for her; now she's gone! I will get my revenge!'

Tonnerre saw his wife's depressed state. He vowed to murder Prier Dark Slayer for the pain she had caused them. Also Sang who had used Javelot to try and harm her human sister; the countering powers had shown the girl who she really was. Nobody messed with him and Ciel and lived very long.

S...S

As the team walked home, Angie was getting a ride on her Aunt Dominique's back. Dommie was feeling a lot better than she had right after the spell broke. She was also happy to spend some time with her sister's child. As a Demon, she had minimal happiness; it wasn't an emotion they tended to display. But now she could find her way into a family setting. There was her beloved twin, her niece, her future brother-in-law, Prier's foster brother, and all the wonderful friends they'd made along their adventures.

"Dominique," Culotte spoke up, "I was just wondering. Why did the Demons want to take you anyway? Did they desire your Dark powers like they did with Croix? Because I didn't sense pure bloodlust coming from Javelot. She appeared to have a family that she seemed to care about there."

"Ciel and Tonnerre…they saw her as their daughter. I don't know for sure, but I think their only child was murdered by humans long ago. I guess in me they saw a chance to start over. But they never asked me; only forced me to come along. I was lucky that Javelot rarely if ever had to fight; with no big war, Sang didn't seem to force her hand often. However, with their vendetta against my sister and their desire for Angie's powers, Sang obviously wanted a trump card. I'm thinking that she saw it as a win/win situation. If I won, she'd get what she wanted. But if Prier won, she'd find out that she'd slain her twin sister. That would weaken her resolve and make it easier for the Demons to kill her," Dominique replied.

Culotte told her, "Just lucky that Prier always follows her heart. I was doing some research following the final battle four years ago. Some scholars, a good number of them from churches, believe that the theoretical heart, the emotional area of the human brain, is where instincts are also contained. So that's why more often than not, when one follows their 'heart' they are able to find out the truth."

Dominique sweatdropped. "Too deep for me; never learned much about philosophy while in the Dark World. But you're quite impressive. I mean, for a sixteen year old boy you know an awful lot. My sister and I are four years older and we don't think like that. I don't even think my mother went that deeply into things. She tended to go with the flow; probably because of the unpredictability of twins."

Culotte blushed as he put his hand behind his head. "Well, considering the fact that Prier never thinks things through and Francois is obsessed with finding the perfect man, I had to step up. We'd be dead long ago if someone wasn't doing all the thinking for her. Especially…after we lost Sister Alouette. She was always giving the two of us good advice. And nobody can perform Miracles like she could."

"It sounds like you really cared for this woman," Dominique responded, "It always hurts when you lose someone that you love. I might not have as large a knowledge into human emotions, being raised in the Dark World and all, but I do remember my early years. I lost my mother in a great tragedy and had to deal with being apart from my big sister. Loneliness is something I'm really accustomed to; an emotion I understand better than the others. Don't let it get you down Culotte; I know you can make it through."

"Thanks Dominique. Nobody understands how I feel. Prier thinks I just had a little crush on Alouette. Unlike her, I can't just pick myself up and expect to feel better right away after tragedy. Though I still can rag on her about her two days of lovesickness after our trip into the past," Culotte then stated.

Dominique giggled a little. She was happy to have made a good friend in her first days back from imprisonment. Life would get better from here on out. But she didn't think that Culotte gave himself enough credit; he seemed to be doing quite well at getting through his pain. After all, he was bettering himself in order to make up for the loss of Alouette's strengths. That was truly an act of acceptance. And acceptance was the first step towards getting through a tough time. He just needed a little push now.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Sky's bugging me cuz of this scene; she thinks it was really contrived. However, it just flowed like this; I wrote it while doing part of my 20 hour teacher observation for a class. Then again, Culotte does need a love interest in the future. So if you think it's stupid...blame Sky for giving me ideas while she was yelling at me...

Anyway...we had a lot of revelations in this chapter and some sweet moments between two new friends. But it won't stay like this; Prier is involved after all. Soon we should be back into the battles.


	20. Elementalism

**Elementalism**

They arrived back at the church and explained the entire story to Sister Romaine. Of course, it was more like a fill in the blanks because Prier had already been forced to explain their first visit to the ruins after they returned. Dominique was allowed to stay in the quarters of Prier's unit and was going to be given lessons on how to control her powers. Sister Romaine, and quite a few other people in the Church of the Holy Maiden, couldn't believe she and Prier were twins; Dommie was about as shy and quiet as Culotte. Then again, with a sister like Prier, it's no wonder both of them became introverted.

But their prime concerns were still with the Demons. Dominique had told her sister and allies all about Lady Sang's plan. Apparently, she had become quite smitten with the Dark Prince upon seeing his power many years ago. She not only wanted to steal Angelique's unique powers, but flood Croix's heart with Darkness once more so she could have him to herself. Of course, both goals included killing Prier.

"I go from dealing with a clingy bat to a jealous one," muttered Croix, "Poitreene, if this is my punishment then so be it. Just as long as no harm comes to Prier and Angelique; they don't deserve to suffer for my sins." He was sitting at a table in the gym; sipping a mug of beer to calm his shaking nerves.

"Don't worry about me. I'm going to kick her ass if she as much as breathes on you. Honestly, even I don't get that desperate when I want something! Not talking about love because A) I never needed to be desperate and B) when we were in the past I realized that letting go, though it causes you some heartbreak, shows that you care for someone. She's either going to learn that or I'll kill her," Prier stated.

Croix smiled at her as she sat down next to him. He offered her a small cup of beer; she was most likely a virgin drinker after all. Prier took one sip out of it and nearly gagged; spitting the liquid clear across the room. The girl couldn't understand why anyone would want to drink this stuff. Then again, it was the same with Croix's smoking; why did he want to be constantly breathing in something so horrid.

Noticing what had just happened, Croix pushed something else over to her. He said, "It's a lemon drink mixed with alcohol. Less of a liqueur taste to it than beer. Figured you'd prefer something like this, but knew you'd never get anywhere without trying." To this, Prier playfully swatted at Croix's head with her baton. Though she did drink down the hard lemonade. It was actually pretty good.

S...S

The next day, the group was working out in the gym. Prier had decided to teach Croix about unarmed combat; not knowing if he might drop his guns in a battle. He was a natural at punching hard, having been in a lot of fights as a kid and young teenager, but not the style of fist fighting. She was showing him how to imitate her stances, how to read an enemy's movement, and how to put the most into one hit. Francoise was trying to take notes; she did, after all, prefer to stick to hand to hand combat.

But after about a half hour, an explosion ripped through the gym. When the smoke cleared, they saw Ciel and Tonnerre standing in a gaping hole in the wall; well, only Dominique recognized who they were, but the others knew they were definitely Demons. Ciel gave a wicked eye to her nemesis. "Prier Dark Slayer…we meet at last. You are going to die for all the harm you have done me and my beloved."

"Can we be a little less cliché!" she yelled back, "I am sick and tired of you Demons trying to attack me. If you'd leave humanity alone…maybe I wouldn't have to beat you all up! Besides, you really don't want to test my patience; it's become quite explosive following all the crap I was put through!"

"Silence brat! You deprived me of my only daughter! And it was the humans who started it in the first place. We were living in peace back then when they slaughtered our village and took the life of the child I'd bore only a week before. So how can you say that I was wrong in wanting revenge?" Ciel asked.

Prier told her, "Then get revenge against the ones who harmed you; leave the rest of us out of it. And how dare you take my sister for your own selfish desires? Because of you, we almost killed one another. My mother would really love that one; let me tell you. My job as a Sister of the Goddess is to protect the balance between Light and Darkness; as well as to help those who are suffering in this world."

Ciel took a fighting stance. "I don't give a care about what your job is. Humans deprived me and my husband of our happiness once; we won't let it happen again. We're going to take back our daughter and reunite our family. You will die for your crimes; and then Lady Sang will perish for using Javelot! Time to succumb to despair!" Suddenly, a black wind began rushing out from her hands and to Prier.

"Sister!" shrieked Dominique, "Look out! Taste the Darkness!" With that, her shadow began to grow and race towards Ciel's spell. Both the dark attacks began fighting for supremacy. Culotte was taking note of how concentrated the blasts seemed to be. Darkness could very well fight Darkness; he knew that from watching his niece battle with Demons. However, sustaining a Dark attack against another Dark attack was uncertain; that's whyAngelique always attacked with one element and then the other.

"Dommie! I'll give you a hand. Taste the Light!" Prier called. With that, her aura began to change just as it had when they'd fought by the lake; taking on a more magical air. Prier's shadow began to distort until it became pure light before it too rose off the ground and prepared to block Ciel's spell.

Tonnerre added, "Two against one really isn't fair. You're going to have to fight me; Dark Slayer. Slowly you will melt away." Blood red bolts of lighting began raining down upon the two girls; in hopes that they would lose control of their magic. However, Prier and Dominique held fast despite the searing pain tearing into their flesh. They just had to work together and everything would be ok in the end.

Angelique noticed what was going on. She stepped forward and her body began to glow; the right side with Light and the left side with Darkness. Suddenly, a wing of light sprung from her right shoulder while a wing of darkness from her left. A cross appeared on her right hand while a pentagram appeared on her left; both glowing with their respective element. "Light of Angels Darkness of Demons!"

From her Light wing and the cross streamed Light energy while Dark energy flowed from her Dark wing and the pentagram. They began gathering in her palms as she aimed them at Ciel's attack. Then, Angie released the power from her body; causing it to rush right to the aid of her mother and aunt.

When the third spell hit, Ciel's attack was pushed back to its initial position. Both Elementalists were caught up in the blast and blown back into the wall; this also caused Tonnerre's lightning bolts to stop falling. Green/black blood began to pour from their wounds. Both reached out their arms towards one another. They were dying; dying because they had fought against what was fated to happen.

"We will go to our daughter now," whispered Ciel, "Our daughter and the other villagers."

"Ciel! I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. Promise me we'll see each other in the afterlife," Tonnerre whispered back. He saw her nodding; fear plastering her face. But when he looked up, he was in for a surprise. Prier was standing over the two of them; and she wasn't aiming a fist or her infernal baton.

* * *

**Sky's Corner**

Hello. I'm filling in for Teefa becaus she is being lazy and drooling over whatever Anime guy is on TV now; don't ask me, not like I'm dumb enough togo into her room when she's in this state. If someone guesses what comes next then I'll eat my hat. Teefa! You're too predictable. More crud about Light and Darkness combining into one powerful attack, blah, blah, blah! And she claims she had fun writing this one; I sometimes wonder about what that girl considers "fun." Anyway, for those who care about those things like Teefa, there will be mush in the next chapter. Please save me somebody...


	21. Purification

**Purification**

"I want to ask you something," Prier began, "Why did you kidnap my sister? You mentioned that your child was murdered by humans long ago. But why take away my sister against her will? And why send her to fight against me? Just to cause a disturbance so the Demons could kill me much easier?"

"We were human long ago. Those Fatiman bastards…they killed our entire village because of our powers. Everyone there called on their strength from the Elements. When Lady Sang offered to give us the bodies of Demons…we were more than happy to agree; anything for our revenge. Lady Calamity further strengthened our power by sealing our human bodies once and for all; they can never be recovered. Then we saw your sister; sensed her Dark nature. She would be able to become a Demon with us; become Javelot. But…a human who is unwilling can never become a true Demon. They might take on the persona and power, but deep inside they wish to be free. I understand now how foolish my desires might have been. I was a mother; a mother stricken with grief for her child," Ciel coughed out.

Prier knelt besides her. She told the woman, "I understand you better than you think. I too am a mother who worries for her child. And I understand how you must have felt after your village was destroyed. Fatima was living on borrowed time as it was; only a matter of time before someone was driven to the breaking point and accepted the Darkness to get revenge. It's sad that you couldn't see the truth while there was still time. But there is something I can do for you; I can give you a second chance. Oh Holy Goddess Poitreene. Let your gentle flames of Purification wash over these troubled souls. Give them a new life; a life free from the grief of their present existence. I ask this in the name of the Maiden of Light…" With that, a brilliant light enveloped the bodies of the two Demons; consuming them in flames.

Dominique ran to her sister's side; hoping that she hadn't overexerted herself. But Prier was just fine. She looked up at her twin and smiled. The younger girl smiled back. "I never would have expected you to pray for them after what we were put through. You're a lot more brash than I, get into more trouble, and know how to hold grudges. It's hard to believe I'm the Dark twin and you're the Light one."

"It's what I've learned from my travels," Prier replied, "Sometimes, you have to look past your own hatreds and forgive. Grudges are what led to the pain felt by Croix, as well as these two. But their souls have been riddled with a Darkness that no amount of Redemption can cleanse. I sensed it is even stronger than the power binding Croix or what pain consumed Noir. The only way they can avoid the terrible fires of Hades is to be reborn. And only one who has Light powers can make that happen."

Culotte was curious to how Prier knew these things; she'd never studied a day in her life. Not only that, but how could Ciel and Tonnerre's crimes be worse than Croix or Noir; the only reason he could see that Croix would find Redemption was that he was still alive to make amends. But she didn't go any further into the issue. The woman simply walked off to get some food; using all the energy tired her out.

S...S

That evening, Croix found Prier sitting on the roof of the Infirmary. She was letting the breeze play with her short hair; allowing her troubles to be washed away. How he envied her some times. Even though her past was filled with despair, she was always able to pull through with a happy face. He certainly couldn't do such a thing; his pain coming from things he did as well as what happened to him.

He stared a couple of minutes at her; smiling as he watched the young girl's reverie. She was perhaps the most amazing woman he'd come across. Sure Angelique had been kind and loving, but she never surprised him; Croix could predict her next move as if he were a chess champion. However, Prier moved in such a way that you could never figure out where she'd be next. She kept her friends guessing as well as her enemies. And through it all, under her brash exterior, he could feel the radiating warmth.

"Come up here Croix. Why don't you sit with me on the roof? It's nice and cool up here; plush there's nobody around to bother us," Prier called down. Croix nodded and climbed up to be by her. He didn't think twice before pulling her into his arms; shielding her from the cold she was weathering nicely.

However, Prier didn't slug him; she instead snuggled deeper into his embrace. For the first time in four years, they were alone. And for the first time since Croix had left her, she could feel the loving touch shared between the duo. What more was there to ask for? Croix gently pulled his arms around her body; his hand rubbing her back as they savored each moment. Then, he whispered in her ear, "I've been waiting so long for this moment. The past four years were a Hell ride I wouldn't want to repeat."

She let out a small moan of pleasure as his hand passed over her. "I agree. Every day I waited and wondered whether or not you were safe. But your letters were my only comfort; they were the lifeline I held onto. Also Angelique. If it weren't for me getting pregnant, I might have done something stupid like follow you after so long. And I knew that no matter what, I had to live for her sake; she needed me alive."

"I promise you Prier," Croix added, "Promise that I'll never leave your side again. When this is all over, we'll get married and have a happy life together. Then, there will be nothing to stop us." He lightly lifted Prier's body so that their faces drew closer and closer together. Understanding what was going on, Prier began to go through the motions until their lips met in a passionate kiss. Her arms went around his backside until they met in the middle. They stayed like that for a few minutes; savoring each second.

'Mommy…Daddy…I'm so happy that you're together again. Now I'll finally have the family I was dreaming of. I know that I'm going to have to fight to protect this happiness that I've found. But I'm not scared; I'm going to be brave and strong like you both. Then, once the Demons are gone, everything can go back to the way it should be; I'll no longer cause problems due to my powers,' thought Angelique; who was spying from the doorway. She let out a sigh; they looked so happy. But it also caused her to smile.

S...S

In the bedroom, Dominique was opening her window. She too was hoping to climb up onto the roof to be alone; it was something she'd done when she was a little kid. But when she got up there, she saw her sister and future brother-in-law making out. Blushing, Dommie went back inside to pretend that she'd never walked in on Prier. After all, it didn't do her any good to ignite her twin's notorious temper.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

I just adore romance! One of the reasons I loved La Pucelle; it had a great set of love stories. Oh! Rutee's gonna turn on Rhapsody and play some more! I'm in for now! If anything goes on, as much as I hate to say so, I'm leaving Sky in charge! Onward to victory!


	22. Loupe's Last Stand

**Loup's Last Stand**

The next day, Prier awoke to the bright sunlight hitting her eyes. She was shocked at how bright the sunrise could be; after all, Prier was used to sleeping in. But when she looked back, she saw Croix; snoring away without a care in the world. It took her a little while to remember why he was there. Then, she thought back to the night before. They were both tired after staying up late on the roof, and he'd carried her back to her room like a gentleman. Poor Croix must have been so exhausted that he'd never made it back to his own room. Noticing that she was still clothed, Prier let out a sigh of relief. She definitely did not need to risk getting pregnant again with all that was going on; it could hurt their band.

"I would also have another lecture from Culotte on the way," she muttered, "He still bugs me about how I was reckless in conceiving Angie sometimes. Though I think the fact that he loves his niece is the only reason he doesn't incisivelyannoy me about that. Well, nothing I can do about the past though."

She gently shook Croix to wake him; watching his peaceful breathing. As the young man awoke, he looked into the eyes of the woman he loved. It made him happy to feel her touch; the softness of her hands. This was how he wanted to spend the rest of his life; to wake up and have someone there besides him. Croix was a man who practically lived on love. His life between the death of Angelique and his meeting of Prier was pretty bleak; both as the Dark Prince and the two years he'd spent without his memory. But love and companionship was what made his life to feel complete; to make him feel happy.

S...S

Later on, the two lovers were taking a walk in the forest. Culotte and Dominique were watching Angie so they had some time to themselves to go on a nice picnic. They had just found a nice clearing and set out their lunch when a loud roar was heard from the bushes. Then, a wolf jumped out at them.

"I can take care of this one!" screamed Prier. She jumped at the beast and beat on it three times while calling, "Redemption!" Instantly, the creature was killed. Both of them breathed a sigh of relief; the Demons were obviously desperate to call upon such low level soldiers. At least the picnic wasn't ruined.

Suddenly, they heard a baritone voice yell, "That's as far as you go; Prier Dark Slayer! I will not rest until you are dead and my master is once again in power. I will never accept my savoir as a prisoner of the human race; the despicable race that destroyed my home. Great Dark Prince, I will kill this woman so that you might once more rise to power!" Then, Loup jumped out of the bushes; ready to fight them.

He rushed at Prier; hunger for vengeance devouring his soul. The Demon brought out his blade to strike her. She had to laugh because her speed allowed her to dodge the attack with ease. But the girl didn't expect what happened next. Loup's first attack was a mere bluff; he was preparing to strike from the other side. Prier noticed it too late, and was injured when his blade hit her side; blood pouring out.

But as Prier was beginning to get up, Loup readied another hit. His eyes shown with hunger; at long last she would die. However, just before the sword could connect, Prier was thrown to the ground and out of the blade's reach. Looking up, she saw the infernal weapon had gone right through Croix's body. He fell down to the ground; bleeding much worse than she. Fear filled the girl's heart; he wad dying. Prier, ignoring her own pain, picked up her beloved's wounded body; to hold him one last time.

Croix looked at Prier's crying face; smiling despite his pain. "It's ok Prier. Just as long as I can save you; just as you saved me. I'm not going to let them take away the person I love; not again. Don't forget me when I'm gone. And please…raise Angelique to be the best little girl that she can become."

With that, he spoke no more. However, he wasn't dead yet; Prier could see his breathing hadn't stopped. But his body was growing more and more feeble by the second. She was no healer; there was nothing she could do for his wounds. However, she would not let his murder go unavenged; she would take down this wretched creature. It was the least she could do to memorialize his noble sacrifice.

"Master!" shrieked Loup, "How dare you force him to be your shield? That was your plan all alone you witch! You would use our master to sire you a child of power, then throw him away when it was convenient or when your own pitiful human life was in danger. You're going to pay for taking away the one who avenged the deaths of my family. Face it brat; you're injured and in no condition to beat me."

"You've got it reversed buddy! Croix made the decision to give up his own life for mine. And he is not a Demon! He was trapped by the pain of losing someone precious to him; losing her at the hands of wicked humans. However, he realized through his time spend with us that there are both good and bad in all people, and he doesn't need to live his life for vengeance. I cared about him enough to risk my life to save him instead of simply killing him after we'd defeated Noir. That was because I truly loved him! And for taking away the one that I love, I will destroy you! Catch this! Holy Ball!" Suddenly, her body became awash in Light. It formed a sphere between her palms and then she threw it at the werewolf.

Loup felt the holy energy wash over him; he hadn't known Prier Dark Slayer to be capable of these sorts of things. However, he sensed her anger and rage weren't a fake; they were her pure emotions. She did care for his Master; loved him as any human female would love her mate. The very thought of losing the one she held dear acted as her blade. As he faded away, he let out a small sigh.

Prier immediately raced over to Croix's body. He lay still on the forest floor; blood continuing to pour out from his wounds. She lay her head on his chest and began sobbing into his jacket. How, she asked the Goddess, when everything was going so right could things go so wrong? Why did she have to lose the one man she could ever love? And he'd given up his own life in order to safeguard hers.

A voice suddenly called to her, -Trust in yourself Prier. You know the power that resides inside of you. Your pure love for Croix has performed Miracles in the past; let it be so once more. Don't worry…it will all work out in the end.- Then suddenly, Prier's entire body began to glow with a white hot light.

Holy energy filled up the girl's palms and an aura of purity washed over the clearing. Then, as if by an act of Fate, she cast the Blessing Miracle; something she had been unable to do ever since her mother had sealed her and Dominique away all those years ago. The energy flowed right into Croix's body; closing the wound. His breathing strengthened, his eyes opened, and he rolled into her arms.

Croix gripped the fabric of her sleeves; happy to touch her. "Prier…thank you once more."

"Don't thank me," Prier explained, "Thank the Goddess. It was she that undid the seal binding my powers. The seal my mother constructed to keep Calamity and her minions from finding out where I was and killing me before I had a chance to rescue you. That was what allowed me to heal the fatal wound."

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Yes, I wanted this chapter to be sweet and mushy. So Prier can fully access her powers now; not just in fear and desperation like before. Love can be a dramatic tool. Besides…I could never kill of Croix.


	23. Protective Powers

**Protective Powers**

"Loup, you fool," Sang yelled, "Why did you have to take on the Dark Slayer all alone! You know you're not up to her level in combat. And…my master…why did you defend that woman? She who took away all of your power. Do you really love her? Love her more than I love you? But why a human?"

Looking up at the ceiling, her anger burned. Everything she had worked for was now in vain. However, she wouldn't just sit still and let things go. Even if it cost her her life, she would kill Prier Dark Slayer. This time, the grudge was personal. Sang grabbed a large broadsword and teleported away.

S...S

Prier was helping Croix to limp back towards town. Despite the fact that she'd healed his major wounds, the man was still injured. But Croix was happy to have this kind of attention; it reminded him of the time right after the final battle where she'd helped him to walk. The two smiled at one another.

"When we get home, we'll get you properly treated. Angie and Culotte also have their magic to help me. If necessary, we'll get you in to the Infirmary and have Sister Cherrie look you over. Then, we'll have a nice dinner; make up for this ruined picnic," Prier told him. She was just happy they could be together. If she'd lost Croix…she didn't know what she'd do. Like with him, Prier needed love in her life.

Suddenly, a Dark Portal exploded. Neither had ever seen such a ferocious gate in their long careers as Demon Slayers. And out of it stepped Lady Sang. Her red eyes were filled with a vengeance unmatched by any person or Demon in all the dimensions. The woman held her sword out and lunged.

Prier acted quickly and jumped out of the way with Croix still in her arms. Sang's weapon was lodged into the ground; she pulled it out and turned on her heels to face where Prier jumped. She saw the young huntress laying Croix down next to a tree; hoping to keep him out of the fight for his safety.

The woman turned to face the Demoness and exclaimed, "What's the big idea jumping out at me like that! Especially when my fiancé is injured. I hope you know that it's never a good idea to make me mad; and that goes double for Demons." She drew her baton and began swinging it at her adversary.

Sang looked her in the eye with confidence. "Well, you should know who you're dealing with here. I am Lady Sang; the ruler of the 235th Dark Dimension. You, Prier Dark Slayer, have interfered with my plans one to many times. Practically the only thing you did right was to bring that child into the world with all of her lovely powers. Once you are dead and her father returns to his true state, she'll be mine."

"I'd never let you have Angie!" shrieked Prier, "Nor Croix! You can most definitely not use them as your playthings! This is the family I've been building for four years; awaiting a time when we can all be together under one roof. If you don't back off right now, I'll have no choice but to fight back. Repent!"

With a little laugh at her brashness, Sang began to charge up her Dark powers; hoping to blast Prier into oblivion. They raced towards the girl with an amazing speed. However, Prier stood her ground; she knew that she had to stay and protect Croix. And when the blast hit her, the most amazing thing happened. Lights shown from the young woman's body, yet she had cast no spell. They began to brighten and intensify; filling the entire clearing up with her Holy energy. Love had ignited a holy shield.

"What is this! No human can create such a power! You aren't a normal person!" shrieked Sang.

Prier stepped forward and told her, "My name is Angelique; Holy Child of the long dead village of Peau. Feared by even Calamity herself for the power I possess. Also known as Prier Dark Slayer; the one who ended the reign of the Dark Prince. Those who mess with me all live to regret it. Especially if they dare to touch my beloved Croix! You will now feel the wrath of my powers; Dark Witch Sang!"

Sang let out a laugh. "So you know my real name. I am honored that one so young has delved enough into the Dark Realms to figure it out. Too bad you refuse to fight alongside our forces; even if you are a Holy Child, you would prove useful to us. Oh well, can't have you stealing my Dark Prince away."

"Your Dark Prince!" shrieked Prier, "You think that Croix would fall in love with you if he returned to being the Dark Prince! I don't know what you've been smoking lady, but you aren't getting him. When I went into Croix's heart, I completely eliminated the Darkness that had taken corporeal form. So there's no more Dark Prince; you will never be able to restore him. Just give it up and go back home."

Prier's holy barrier began returning towards her; taking shape in her hands. Suddenly, after a brilliant flash of light, the energy became a sword. The woman swung her blade down; meeting that of Lady Sang. In an instant, the Demonic weapon was split in two. Sang took a large step back; fearful.

'She truly is all she spoke of. Such a powerful warrior that even Calamity was in fear enough to attack her as a child. But did our great leader know what Prier Dark Slayer would grow to accomplish? Did she fear the loss of her top warrior? One thing I know, I must fight her some other time. I don't know anything about her powers so I would have no way of combating them,' Sang strategize to herself.

Sang let out a laugh. She exclaimed, "Well then, I fear that our time is up. But the next time I see you, I will be victorious! And then…my Dark Prince will return to me; along with the child he sired!" With that, she opened a portal to the Dark World and stepped inside. Prier was left holding her sword outward.

S...S

Prier came home with Croix and helped him into bed. The young man was still feeling the effect of Loup's earlier strike. However, as he slept, she sat near his bed. Her willingness to protect the one she loved was stronger than everything else. She stroked his wounded face and smiled a winning smile.

Suddenly, the door opened and closed; someone was stepping into the room. "Sister…I heard that Croix was injured. I just wish I could have been there to help." Prier turned to see Dominique behind her. The younger twin looked in sorrow at the pain her sibling was feeling. Prier looked with a smile.

"It was Loup," whispered Prier, "He was mad with vengeance and ambushed us. But when I was injured, Croix jumped in front of an incoming attack. Then, the seal on my Holy powers was broken and I saved him. I ended up having to deal with Sang on the way back though; my powers came through again. With your Dark powers fully unleashed, and my Holy powers now unsealed, we can fight them."

* * *

**Rutee's Otaku Board**

Prier is pissed and we have a final battle coming up next chapter. Plus, Peau means hide; it's called that because the village lies within Labrynthe Forest. And Prier remembered the name when her powers flared up; they gave her knowledge needed to make an impressive speach in addition to kicking ass. Mainly for the effect, but it's similar to when Angie's powers give her bursts of knowledge.

Don't ask where Teefa is today; she just brought four Chrono Crusade DVDs. Heh, and there are some similarities to La Pucelle too. Prier and Rosette are a lot alike in personality, there's a scene of her going into the heart of her friend to purify a Demon, and Chrono has gone berserk ala Croix in Ch. 9 when Rosette was hurt or when the villain kissed her against her will.


	24. The Bonds of Light and Darkness

**The Bonds of Light and Darkness**

Suddenly, the room began turning black and swirling; almost like a void of infinite Darkness was consuming them. Dominique grabbed her sister's arm in fear while Prier stared it down. Apparently, it was only the two of them were being consumed; Croix was still lying in bed luckily. But she soon realized that wasn't the case. For a small child's hand tugged on the woman's clothing; Angie had also come.

"I think that it's quite fair," Sang's voice called out, "After all, I'm all alone and you're a group of three. So I should get home field advantage. And I only want you three at the moment because of your powers. I need to kill the Holy Child for my vengeance, the little one is too strong to capture on her own so I'll need to weaken her, and I do so want to fight with Javelot in her human form. My beloved prince will come along after you are dealt with. I can't have my darling getting hurt by a stray energy blast."

"Well if you want a fight you bitch then you'll get one! Show your sorry ass!" shrieked Prier. She was well aware that she was yelling obscenities in front of her three year old daughter. However, she was also growing madder by the second. First Loup interrupted the picnic, then Sang attacked her on the way home, and now she can't even watch over Croix's injuries because she's trapped in the Dark World.

Sang told her, "Oh have a little patience. You're almost here; we can't begin until arriving at my favorite arena. It wouldn't be half as much fun." Suddenly, the portal began to close. The trio found themselves in a richly furnished gymnasium; Prier wondering who'd waste on a training center. Fancy torches were attached to each pillar which was lined on the bottom and top with gold. Said pillars were about a foot from the wall; holding an extra short ceiling to act as a sort of awning. The walls of the central arena were at least twenty feet high. And standing in the center of the ring was Lady Sang.

Prier stepped up to the front; rage building. "What is your problem! I told you before that you aren't getting Croix. He has a free will and chose to stay with me. The Dark Prince was a simple entity that controlled his fragile heart. And besides…it was a woman; get where I'm going with this story?"

"So what if the inner Demon was female," Sang retorted, "All I saw was a dependable man on the outside. And he was the greatest ever; I remember when he destroyed entire villages of human scum! It's a wonder that the same detestable creatures that he hated so would be able to turn him against me."

"You are one dense woman! I mean since the Demon inside was a woman, she probably wasn't that interested in women! Ever see people that say they're the opposite gender than they were born as? Believe me; I've been forced to sit in on therapy sessions as punishment before so I know the problems people can have. And the reason Croix could return to being human was because he realized that he wasn't alone anymore. He only failed to resist the Darkness because of his loneliness," Prier shouted.

Sang brandished another sword; making up for the one Prier broke. She stated, "You might believe whatever you like. However, I know in my heart that I can get my beloved back. Now, you will die Prier Dark Slayer!" With that, she charged; narrowly missing Prier who jumped back at the last minute.

The young Sister stood her ground as she stared down her enemy. "Dominique…Angelique…we must fight this enemy as one. Remember what Mother said to us. She explained that the powers of Light and Darkness are a potent force when used at the same time. That's why we have to all attack at once. My Holy powers, Dommie's Dark powers, and Angie's duel powers are the keys to winning in this fight."

"You're right sis!" Dominique replied, "I may have only come back recently, and participated in one fight with you, but I know that you've gotten as far as you have because you worked together with your friends. And even when we fought Ciel and Tonnerre, we pooled all of our strength as one. So let's work together to kill Sang." Angie nodded; happy that her mom and aunt were quiet and the plans weren't heard by their adversary. Sang was quite the intelligent Demoness; she knew they were plotting.

"All of your planning just bores me! Honestly, fighting is all about attacking your enemies. You don't simply get in a huddle in the middle of a battle. Then again, what can I expect from a pair of humans and a half-breed raised as a human. Your kind are much weaker than ours," Sang taunted. She hoped to cause Prier's hair trigger temper to go berserk again; that way she'd be easier to fight with.

But none of the trio said a word. Instead, Prier and Dominique began to concentrate; sending their energy into their hands. Just as before, Prier's power took the shape of a sword; her twin's energy following the same pattern. Holy energy flowed around Prier's body as Dark energy did the same to her twin. When it cleared, their clothes had changed. Prier now wore a purple dress with short sleeves, a gold sequined cross above her waist, and a pair of leather boots. Dommie's was the same design except for the fact that it was in red and she had a gold sequined pentagram right above her waist. Angie also released her powers; the Light wing, Dark wing, and her cross and pentagram tattoos appearing on her body. With their powers unleashed, they were ready to rumble; Sang no longer held any fear to them.

Licking her lips, Sang charged again. The twins jumped out of the way and struck at her with their blades; Prier hitting the left side while Dominique hit the right. At the same time, Angelique jumped and struck out with her baton; her wings increasing her speed at least tenfold. Sang was thrown back into the wall from the trio of strikes. She had to commend the human plan; working as a team sure proved to be intelligent. However, she also knew that their stamina wouldn't be able to equal her own. All she had to do was outlast her enemies and then she could destroy the sisters and take the child.

Prier held out her blazing sword; anger showing in her eyes. She whispered, "My Holy Power…"

Dominique, noticing what her sister was doing, decided to imitate her. "My Dark Power…"

Both girls thrust their weapons towards Sang; running at speeds unheard of to humans. If they had looked behind themselves, they would have realized it was because of the wings that had suddenly appeared on each girls' back. Prier had wings resembling the ones from Angie's Divine Retribution, while Dominique's resembled those from Horus's Wings. "Die Fiend!" they screamed, "You won't defeat us!"

The swords went through Sang's body with ease. Green/black Demon blood began to pour out of the woman's stomach; her screams lighting up the air. However, she knew that there would be no mercy from her adversaries. To them, mercy meant putting a Demon out of their misery; that is, to kill them.

"Light of Angels Darkness of Demons," called out Angelique. She began shrieking as the energy built up in her palms; coming from her wings and tattoos. Then, she aimed her palms right at Sang, and fired. The Holy and Demonic powers struck the Demoness just as Prier and Dominique cleared out of the way. As the duel attack melded with the two swords, they created an inferno of energy; filling the room with power. When it died down…Sang was nowhere to be found. At long last, she had been defeated.

But before Prier and her companions could take a breath, the void opened again. Once more, she felt Dominique take her hand and Angie hold onto her clothing. And as when they had come, Prier had to keep herself looking strong and determined. However, this time there was no fear of the unknown nor worry over their situation. This time…she was going home; going home to be with Croix once more.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Sky's complaining that I ripped this off of Slayers. But it was the idea only, not the scenes. In TRY, they defeated Dark star by having Sirius, Amelia, Zel, and Gourry stand in a circle around Lina who fired Galveyra (sp?) after Filia and Xellos had lent her the powers of the Gods and Mazoku (incrediably powerful Demons that live off of negative emotions would be a good layman's definition). This time, they used power only within themselves. And neither Rutee nor I remember the Slayers ever being swept up to the Astral Plane during a battle.

Well, only the Epilogue left now. That's going to set us up for future stories in the series.


	25. Pure Love

**Pure Love**

The bells were ringing from the steeple of the Church of the Holy Maiden one day about a month after the festival. Few people in Pot au Feu city were well informed of what was going on; they had been eagerly awaiting this ever since it had been announced. It was lucky that there wasn't an open house because the chapel would be mobbed. As it was, the Chocolat Gang had to act as bouncers.

Inside, standing at the alter was Croix Raoul; tugging on his tie uncomfortably. He wasn't used to formal wear after all. Sister Romaine was sitting down; waiting for the ceremony to begin. After the past week of preparations, she was somewhat frazzled. Especially when Bear Socks nearly had eaten the food for the reception earlier this morning. The church's leader had nearly lost ten years of her life.

Suddenly, the music started and Croix was jolted back to reality. He saw Culotte escorting Dominique; the former in a suit and tie while the latter had on a long violet dress. Éclair and Homard were up next in the same attire, followed by Francoise and Jacques. Each seemed to be nervous in some way or another; Francoise was even blushing and Culotte seemed to sweat just holding Dommie's hand.

After they had all taken their places, Croix could see little Angelique practically dancing up the aisle in her little violet dress and tossing violet petals from her basket. She seemed to be blissfully unaware that Bear Socks was trying to break free of Papillon and Yattanya's grasp and run up towards his young mistress. However, he was restrained and the child arrived up front with no further incident.

Then, at last, Prier walked up in a beautiful white gown. Father Salade was escorting her; as he was the closest thing she had to a father. In the brightly lit church, the golden cross she wore around her neck seemed to glow with as much Holy energy as the blade Prier had used in her final battle with Sang.

Her steps seemed to take hours. Well, that could be because she was wearing heels at the insistence of her friends; Prier had no prior experience in them and so she was being extra careful for once. Finally, the love of his life was at the alter; Father Salade holding out her hand for Croix. He took it in his own; the pleasure of her touch almost frightening him. Both smiled at one another; it was time.

"In the name of the Holy Goddess Poitreene," Sister Romaine began, "We are gathered here today to join these two souls together in holy matrimony. They have proved that love is stronger than any bond; facing the Darkness with only that beacon to guide them. Accepting and looking away from the past and keeping their eyes shining on their future together. This courage should lie in all of our hearts."

"Courage is the will to move forward and never give up; no matter what adversities you face. Even when it looked as if Croix was lost in the Darkness forever, Prier was able to fight her way through to him. Love and caring are what saved this world; the heart of a young girl," Sister Olive announced.

Sister Cherrie stated, "Love in its purest form radiated from Prier's heart as she fought for the one who held its key. As those who wrote the Goddess's words in the Holy Book quoted, 'Even the worst of sinners are able to repent. The Goddess Poitreene wishes none of her children to be lost in the flames of Hades. So those of you who love her and honor her teachings, reach out to your neighbor and pull him from the black flames that surround his soul.' Prier, in her pure emotions, did just that for Croix back then. It is because of her, we can attain the peace we wished for so long. Her and the late Sister Alouette."

Everyone inside the church began to clap; they were all grateful to Sister Prier Dark Slayer for her valiant fight with the Dark Prince, and even happier for the fact that she had been able to perform the very service of charity the Goddess wished for. When Sister Romaine faked a cough, however, they once more became silent. The good Sister stood up and turned towards the couple; noticing Prier's fast growing impatience. "Do you, Prier, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold? In sickness and in health? For richer or poorer? In good times and bad? Till death do you part?"

"Of course I do," replied Prier, "I've been waiting four years for this to happen."

"And do you, Croix Raoul, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold? In sickness and in health? For richer or poorer? In good times and bad? Till death do you part?" Sister Romaine continued. She was obviously trying to ignore Prier's little outburst. If it had been up to the fiery Sister, they'd have skipped all the formalities, wore their casual clothes, went right to the vows and then the kiss, and finally running right to the banquet hall and pigging out on the enormous feast.

Croix smiled at Prier before saying, "Yes…I do." He didn't want any trouble; the faster they leave the chapel the sooner they get to the banquet. He and Prier were both big eaters and hated having to go through ceremonies. In fact, once she'd skipped services to twirl her baton in the outside practice area.

Sister Romaine was happy that at least one of them took the whole wedding thing seriously. "If anyone here believes that these two should not be wed in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace." There was silence for a few blessed moments. "In that case, Culotte bring forth the rings."

The boy held out two boxes. A blue one was handed to Prier while the violet one was handed to Croix. Each opened the box to see a golden ring with a pair of angel's wings billowing out from the center. The diamond was set in the middle of the wings; it was in the shape of a heart. Prier held out her left hand and Croix applied the beautiful ring onto her fourth finger. Then, she did the same thing for him.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," announced Sister Romaine, "You may kiss the bride."

Croix pulled Prier close to him; his lips slowly moving towards hers as his body tingled with sheer excitement. The second they touched, it was as if lightning had struck Prier's body. She always enjoyed his kisses; each was like a newly answered prayer. If they didn't have to come up for air, they could have stayed like this forever. However, they also didn't want to miss their banquet; after all…it was food.

S...S

_One month later…_

"So you're sure about this? I swear, Croix and I can't spend any intimate time," Prier muttered.

Sister Cherrie told her, "Yes, it appears as if you're pregnant again Prier. You and Croix don't have very good timing, don't you. At this rate, I think the only way for you to avoid becoming a mother of ten plus kids is to abstain from sexual relations altogether." She was giggling as she thought of her friend's luck. Prier and Croix had only slept together once in the past month, and it was the right time.

Prier blushed. "But it feels so good when I'm with Croix." Across the room, she could see her husband's face had turned the same shade of crimson. And Angie seemed clueless as always. The entire, 'where do babies come from' question had yet to be asked and she wasn't looking forward to it.

"And we've got to go to Éclair and Homard's wedding next month," Croix added, "No, scratch that, weddings. They're having one for friends and family, one public one for the citizens of Paprica, and one for the citizens of Marl. And we're going to support them at each one. Is it ok for Prier to travel now?"

"It's quite alright. Just as long as she keeps out of fights. Knowing her, you've got your work cut out for you on these trips Croix," joked Sister Cherrie. Just then, she had to watch a test of Croix's new job as an annoyed Prier was ready to slug her. However, just his touch was enough to calm her down.

Prier exclaimed, "I am so warning Éclair and Homard the next time I see them! If they want to spend that peaceful year together, they better learn to time their intimate periods. My luck is so bad!"

However, she didn't really think that way. In truth, Prier was happy that Angie would have a new brother or sister. Not that it was happening so soon after her marriage, but the fact that it happened was a blessing to her. Now, Croix would be able to raise a child from infancy onwards, and they'd have a real family. She knew deep in her heart that their futures would be bright. The souls of their dead friends and family would shine down on them from Heaven; continually watching over the young girl and her beloved.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Yes, we ended it on a sweet note. Our next fic will involve what happens at Eclair and Homard's wedding. Well, really at the reception and the main problem is a group of party crashers that anyone who played Rhapsody will be familiar with. After that, a story about Angelique when she grows up and is partnered with her sibling and the children of the other main characters in La Pucelle plus my OCs. There will also be a story that is an alternate-reality to this one; they are related just like individual series of the different Tenchi anime are. I just have to think which way I wish to go first; the same reality or the same timeframe.


End file.
